There You Are
by Sara9
Summary: This is mostly Monica and Chandler, and there's much more information with the first chapter. *Epilogue Added - Finally*
1. Chapter One

A/N - Wow. I haven't written an author's note in a really long time... Guess this one will have to make up for all the lost time, so sorry for the length... Okay, I haven't posted anything here in a long time, but I've been writing tons of stuff. The only problem is, nothing ever seems to go anywhere. Most of it has been really sappy stuff, which I love, but I can't come up with a plot to fill in the rest of the story. Maybe there doesn't need to be a "rest of the story." Hmm... Anyway, this one _does_ go somewhere, I think. I've written the first couple of chapters, and I think I'm pleased with them so far. Although I might be taking this somewhere I thought I'd never go... We'll see. Maybe you'll hate it...

Okay, enough of that. Here's all you need to know. This is _mostly_ Monica and Chandler, but, when the story begins, they've never met. Monica's "group" consists of Ross, Rachel, and herself. Chandler's got Joey and Phoebe. And Ross and Chandler weren't roommates in college, so they haven't met either. I think that's all you really need to know to get started. You'll learn the rest as we go... As always, let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy it.

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Disclaimer: _Sadly, I own none of the characters from _Friends_. They belong to their brilliant creators - who I'm sure are very excited about the ten million dollars an episode that NBC is going to fork over for a tenth season. Woohoo!_

A/N- I'm sorry, but did I just say "woohoo?" Please forgive me. Never thought I was a "woohoo" kind of girl... And Merry Christmas, by the way!

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There You Are

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Chapter One

Chandler walked into the familiar coffeehouse and up to the counter to place his order. He'd had a busy day, but he needed a cup of coffee to keep him up for the ride home.

"Coffee to go, Gunther," he said to the man at the counter.

"I just put on a fresh pot. Have a seat, and I'll call you when it's ready," Gunther answered, obviously consumed with his work. Central Perk was extremely busy at the moment.

Chandler nodded, then turned to glance around the crowded room. He spotted a vacant space on the ratty orange couch beside a beautiful, dark-haired woman. He stepped over to the couch and cleared his throat, causing the woman to look up from her magazine.

"I'm sorry, but is this seat taken?" he asked.

"Oh, no. Have a seat," she answered, moving over a little to give him more room. She looked back to her magazine as he took the spot beside her.

"Waiting for someone?" Chandler asked. He didn't even know this woman, but something about her made him want to talk to her.

"Yeah, actually," she replied, closing her magazine and looking at him. She didn't know this man, but she was up for a little intelligent conversation. Maybe he could give that to her. "How about you?"

"No. I just stopped in to grab a cup of coffee to keep me awake for the ride home... No hot date for _me_ tonight," he chuckled.

"Yeah, me neither," she smiled. "I haven't had a hot date in a long, long time... I'm waiting for my best friend, actually. She and I are supposed to have a girls' night out tonight."

"Ooo... Fun," he smiled. "I think my roommate and I are having a guys' night _in_... Although, actually, _I'll_ probably be the one staying in; he'll probably be out on his _own_ hot date," he continued.

"Poor guy," she smiled slightly.

"Hey, buddy, your coffee's ready," Gunther called from the counter.

"I guess that's me," Chandler said, and stood up. "It was really nice to meet you," he smiled.

"It was nice to meet you, too," she said sincerely, then watched him turn toward the counter. He seemed like a good guy - although that kind of thinking had gotten her into a lot of trouble in the past.

He suddenly turned back to face her. "Um, do you think it might be okay if I gave you a call sometime?" he asked.

"Well... I guess that would be okay," she answered after a slight hesitation.

"Great," he smiled brightly as she took out a pen and wrote her number down on a napkin. "I'm Chandler, by the way," he said as he took the napkin from her. "Chandler Bing."

"Monica Geller," she replied.

"Well, Monica Geller, I guess I'll talk to you again soon."

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"Well, was he cute?" Rachel asked excitedly after Monica had told her about the coffeehouse guy.

"Yeah. He was," she smiled. "I just... I shouldn't have given him my phone number. I wish I hadn't said he could call me. These things never work out for me."

"Oh, Mon, don't be so pessimistic. He might be the _one_," Rachel smiled.

"Yeah, right," Monica scoffed. "They're all the same, Rach. He'll never stick around."

"You don't know that."

  
"Yes, I do. For the past three years, I've had to come to terms with the fact that there is no man out there who is going to want a relationship with me."

"Monica, you know that's not true. There's someone out there for you. You just haven't found him yet... Maybe tonight you did."

Monica laughed. "Sure, Rach... Now, come on. I need to get home."

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"Hey, Ross," Monica said when she walked into her apartment with Rachel a little later. She and Rachel hung their coats and purses on the hooks by the door, then walked over to the living room to join him.

"Hey. Did you girls have fun?" he asked, then kissed Rachel's cheek as she took the spot on the couch beside him.

"Yeah. Lots of fun," Rachel replied. "Guess what? Monica met a guy!" she informed her boyfriend excitedly.

"Really? That's great," he smiled at his sister. "Are you gonna go out with him?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," Monica sighed. "He's supposed to call, but I don't think I want to go through this again. It's just too complicated."

"So, what? You're gonna be alone forever?" Rachel asked. "Mon, you can't let one little thing control your life like this."

"Rachel, that 'one little thing' _is_ my life. And she's hardly little anymore."

"Mommy!" a little girl cried from the bedroom.

"Mommy's coming, sweetie," Monica called, then turned back to Ross and Rachel. "Thanks for baby-sitting, Ross, and I had a good time, Rachel. Good night, guys," she said before retreating to her daughter's bedroom.

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A/N - I know, I know. Another author's note? Wasn't the first one bad enough? Sorry. This chapter was kind of short, compared to the others I've written, but the next one will be longer. And the author's note will be shorter, I promise. Please let me know what you thought.


	2. Chapter Two

A/N - First of all, thank you for your reviews. I wasn't expecting that many for the first chapter, so thanks. As for this chapter... I'm using the name Emily for Monica's daughter, just because I like the name. In this story, Emily - as in Ross' second wife Emily - never existed, and Emma doesn't exist either, so there shouldn't be any confusion. Anyway... Here's chapter two. And, believe me, things will get much more interesting as we go...

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There You Are

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Chapter Two

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Ring! Ring!

Monica quickly picked up the phone, hoping that the ringing hadn't woken Emily. "Hello?"

"Is this Monica?" the man asked.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?" she asked as she bent over to pick up a few toys that were scattered across the living room floor.

"This is Chandler, from the coffeehouse a few days ago."

She put the toys down on the table and sat on the couch. "Oh, hi," she said.

"Hi," he chuckled. "Um... I was just wondering if you might like to have coffee or something sometime."

"Well, I, um... I don't know if I can," she replied hesitantly. He seemed like such a nice guy, but she was too afraid that he was going to bail as soon as he found out that she was a single mother with a three year old daughter.

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "Well, if you can't, you can't. I -"

"You know what?" she interrupted. "Coffee would be great. How about Central Perk tonight?"

"That would be great," he smiled. "Six o'clock?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine," she responded. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah... See you tonight," he replied before hanging up the phone.

"Mommy," Emily yawned, rubbing her eyes with her fists as she entered the living room.

"Hey, sweetie," Monica smiled, putting down the phone and walking over to pick up her daughter. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Uh huh," she yawned. "Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we go to the park?"

"No, honey, not today. Listen. I'm gonna call Uncle Ross and Aunt Rachel to see if they can stay with you tonight, okay?"

"Why, Mommy?"

"Sweetie, Mommy's got to take care of something tonight."

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Monica walked into Central Perk at six o'clock sharp that evening, and found Chandler sitting at a table in the back. He smiled when he saw her and she smiled back at him as she walked over to join him.

"Hi," he said as he stood to greet her and pull out her chair.

"Hi... Thank you," she smiled and took the chair he offered her.

"So... How've you been?" he asked as he took his seat again.

"Oh, fine, thanks," Monica replied. "How about you? Did you enjoy that 'night in' the other night?" she smiled.

"Oh, that," he laughed. "Yeah, actually. I spent the night with the television."

She laughed. "I know all about those nights," she smiled.

"Oh, come on. A beautiful woman like you spending nights in front of the television? You must have guys taking you out night after night."

"If only it were that simple," Monica smiled slightly. "I don't think I've been on a real date in months," she said, trying to think back. "Yeah, the last time I went out with someone, my friend, Rachel, set me up with a guy she works with. It didn't work out so well."

"I should probably say I'm sorry to hear that, but if it had worked out with him, you wouldn't be here with me right now," he smiled.

"You know, that's right," she smiled back at him. "So... What do you do?" she asked.

"I'm a data processor, actually. Kind of boring, but it pays the bills. How about you?"

"I'm a chef at Allessandro's."

"Wow. Great," he smiled. "I've been there a lot. Great food."

"Thanks," she replied. "Listen, Chandler. I think there's something you should know."

"Sure. What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Well..." She paused, wondering if she should tell him the truth. If she told him about Emily now, there was no way he was going to stick around to get to know her. But if she didn't tell him now, she'd be wasting her time with him. The second he found out, he'd be gone. And she was sick of being hurt. "I don't think you and I should be seeing each other."

"Oh," he said after letting it sink in for a second.

He definitely sounded hurt. "I'm sorry, but, trust me, you'd only be setting yourself up for disaster. You seem like a really nice guy, and I don't want to drag you through something as complicated as my life."

"Monica, I understand if you don't want to see me. I just thought that we really seemed to hit it off the other day. I thought there might be something here."

"I know... But if we start dating, we're only going to end up getting hurt, and I don't want to do that to you - or myself. And I thought I should tell you in person."

"I understand," he said, not really understanding at all. "Well, thanks for coming."

"Thanks for understanding," she smiled slightly before turning to leave.

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"No, Emily, we're not buying those," Monica said, taking the cookies that the little girl had somehow managed to grab from the shelf and returning them to their spot. "Sweetie, Mommy needs to finish her grocery shopping soon, so please stop grabbing everything you see," she said as she pushed her cart around the corner and into the next aisle where she accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly before even looking to see who she had hit.

"It's fine," he responded, looking at her. "Monica?"

"Chandler," she said quietly.

"Hi."

"Hi," she answered, a bit flustered. She hadn't expected to ever see him again.

"Mommy, who is Chandler?" Emily asked curiously looking at the man her mother was talking to.

Chandler looked shocked. He hadn't noticed the little girl until she spoke up.

"Honey, Chandler is my friend." She looked back to Chandler and smiled slightly. "Chandler, this is my daughter, Emily."

Once he had gotten over the initial shock of discovering that Monica had a child, Chandler looked at the little girl who was eyeing him curiously and took her hand to shake it. "Hi, Emily. I'm Chandler."

"Hi," she giggled.

"You know something? You're just as pretty as your mommy," he smiled.

The little girl giggled and turned to bury her head in her mother's chest.

"Don't be shy," Monica said, brushing Emily's hair with her hand. She looked back up at Chandler. "I wanted to tell you, but -"

"It's okay. I understand," he interrupted. "Do you think you might want to reconsider seeing each other again? I think this might be some kind of sign," he smiled. Normally he'd probably run away screaming if he found out that the woman he was interested in was a single mom. But, this time, something was different. There was something special about Monica. And he wanted a chance to find out what it was.

"You think so?"

He nodded. "Dinner, maybe?" he asked. "Whenever you're free."

"Tomorrow night is good, I guess." Even if nothing came from seeing him again, she felt that she at least owed him an explanation. Maybe not the long, drawn out version, but something. Besides, he seemed different from the other men she'd been out with since Emily had been born. He seemed genuinely interested in her.

"Can I meet you at Central Perk at six thirty? We can go somewhere for dinner from there."

"That's fine," she answered. "I'll see you then," she said, then looked back down at her daughter. "Say goodbye to Chandler."

"Bye," she said shyly, barely looking up from her mother.

"Bye, you," he said, then watched as Monica and her little girl walked away.

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A/N - I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought.


	3. Chapter Three

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And, a little off topic, but one of the reviews just made me laugh. I've actually seen a wedding in Wal-Mart. Pretty funny. Anyway... Another reviewer suggested that Monica tell Chandler about Emily's father. Well, that's basically this chapter. And yet another reviewer mentioned that Chandler seemed a little out of character, and I meant to mention that in my last author's note. He _is_ a little out of character in this story. I should have mentioned that before, but there's a reason he's a little different than you're used to. You'll have to be patient for that one. All in good time...

Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. The next one will be a little more eventful, but you're gonna have to wait until next year to see it... ;)

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There You Are

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Chapter Three

"So, I guess you're wondering about Emily," Monica said the the next evening as she and Chandler chatted over dinner.

"If you want to talk about it. I understand if you don't want to tell me," he answered.

"Oh, it's okay. I think I owe you an explanation at least, after I shot you down," she laughed.

"Couldn't hurt," he teased.

"Well, she's three years old, completely unplanned, but loved very, very much. The circumstances surrounding her conception weren't ideal, but I wouldn't give her up for anything. She means the world to me."

"I'm sure," he smiled. "I don't want to pry, but what about her father? Is he around?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's around," she laughed weakly. "But not around us. When I told him that I was pregnant, he told me that he wasn't ready to be somebody's dad, and he probably never would be. So I let him off the hook. I didn't want him around if he didn't want to be around."

"I understand," he replied. "But he was an idiot to let you and that little angel get away."

She smiled. "Yeah, I like to think so," she teased.

"Has he even seen her?"

"No. I haven't seen or heard from him since the day I told him I was pregnant. And I'll be perfectly fine if I never see or hear from him again. We've already survived three years without him. I think we can make it."

"I'm sure you will," he smiled. "So... Why didn't you tell me about her? I mean, I'm assuming that's why you told me you didn't want to see me anymore."

"Yeah, it is... It's just so complicated, being a single mom. Everytime a guy finds out about Emily, he walks away - or runs, I guess," she smiled weakly. "Most guys aren't looking for a commitment to one woman, so I guess I can see why they'd run away from a woman _and_ a baby."

"You know, in all honesty, it freaked me out a little when I saw you with her. A few of years ago, I would have run for cover the second I saw you with her... But I have to tell you, I admire you for doing this. It's got to be hard to be a single parent."

"It is... But it's completely worth it. I always wanted to have children. I just hadn't planned to do it this way."

"But you're doing great. I can tell," he smiled. "She seems like such a happy little girl."

"Yeah, I think she is. She's got a lot of people to love her, even without her father around." She smiled at him, then continued hesitantly. "Chandler, I completely understand if you don't want to see me again. I don't want you to think that you have to keep seeing me just because you feel sorry for me."

"I don't feel sorry for you," Chandler replied. "I mean, I know that you've been through a lot, having to raise a child on your own, but you seem pretty happy. And you've got that adorable little girl, who I'm sure gives you a reason to get out of bed every morning... Sure, you've had some tough times, Monica, but I have to say that you seem pretty lucky to me," he smiled.

She smiled back at him. "You're absolutely right. I'm _very_ lucky."

"So... Should I ask if we can see each other again, or should I assume that you're going to try to blow me off again?" he teased.

"I've had a really good time tonight, Chandler, and I'd love to see you again," she answered sincerely.

"Wonderful," he grinned as they stood up to leave. "Can I walk you home?"

"Oh, you really don't have to."

"I want to," he assured her.

"All right... Let's go."

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"Well, this is home," Monica informed Chandler once they had reached apartment number twenty. "Would you like to come in for a minute? My brother is baby-sitting, if you'd like to meet him."

"Sure," he replied, then followed Monica inside.

"Is she sleeping?" Monica asked her brother when she saw him sitting in the armchair reading some children's book that he'd given Emily. Something about dinosaurs...

"Yeah," he said, putting the book on the coffee table and walking over to greet his sister. "I just put her down," he continued, eyeing the stranger suspiciously.

"Ross, this is Chandler. Chandler, this is my brother, Ross."

"Nice to meet you," Chandler said, extending his hand toward Ross.

Ross took the extended hand, and shook it. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Was she good tonight?" Monica asked her brother, drawing him away from Chandler. He'd been much more protective of her since Emily's father had walked out on her, and she didn't need him to scare off the one guy she'd actually been interested in since Emily had been born.

"Oh yeah, she was great. We watched that _Sesame Street_ video about three times," he sighed.

"Sorry," she laughed.

"No problem... Um, I guess I'm going to go home. Rachel's waiting," he smiled. "Nice to meet you, Chandler," he said, then turned back to kiss his sister's cheek. "Night, Mon."

"Good night. And thanks," she called as he exited the apartment. Once Ross was gone, she turned back to Chandler. "Would you like something to drink? I've got lots of milk and apple juice," she smiled. "Or I can put on some coffee," she offered.

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Okay... Um, I'm just gonna check on Emily for a second. You can have a seat, or you're welcome to take a peek. She's adorable when she's sleeping."

He laughed lightly. "I'd like to, if you don't mind," he answered.

"Not at all... Come on," she said, leading him into Emily's room.

She walked over and sat on the edge of Emily's bed while Chandler stood at the door, then she brushed the little girl's hair away from her face and leaned over to kiss her forehead gently. Emily stirred and her eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?" she said sleepily.

"Yeah, it's Mommy," Monica said quietly. "Go back to sleep, honey."

"I love you, Mommy," she yawned, then closed her eyes again.

"I love you, too, Em," Monica replied and kissed her daughter's forehead one more time before standing. "Sweet dreams, angel."

Monica turned around to see Chandler standing in the doorway. She smiled at him, then went back into the living room with him.

"It's an incredible thing to love someone like that," Chandler said quietly. "I can tell that you're a wonderful mother."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I do my best."

"I'm not sure I could do this," he said, gesturing toward the closed bedroom door as he and Monica sat down in the living room. "I mean, it must take a lot of courage to raise a child alone."

"Don't pity me, Chandler," she smiled slightly. "Like you said, I'm very lucky to have her. It would have been nice to have been married to someone who wanted to have children with me, but it didn't happen that way, and I can't change things now. And I don't think I'd want to."

"What if you could have been with her father? What if he had been willing to marry you and raise her with you? Would you have done that?" he asked curiously.

"Honestly... No, I wouldn't. I didn't love him. Not like that. He seemed like a nice guy, but it was just a one time thing. We'd been out a few times, and then there was the night Emily was conceived, but that was it. I can't call it a mistake, because that would be calling my daughter a mistake, and she wasn't. But he wasn't right for me."

"Do you ever think about calling him? Maybe trying to let him be a part of your daughter's life?"

"I think I'd be perfectly fine if I never spoke to him again," she said honestly. "At times, I think about all the things Emily's going to miss out on because she doesn't have a father around, but she's got a lot of people who love her already. And maybe someday I'll find someone to spend my life with who'll love her like she was his own child."

He simply smiled. "Yeah. Maybe someday... Speaking of someday, do you think you and I could go out again someday soon?"


	4. Chapter Four

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews on the last chapter. More from me in the A/N at the end of the chapter...

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There You Are

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Chapter Four

"I'm sorry we don't get to spend as much time together as a normal couple," Monica apologized as she and Chandler walked hand in hand through Central Park one evening.

"Don't apologize. You've got more to think about than me," he replied and squeezed her hand gently. "Besides, I really enjoy the time we _do_ get to spend together."

"Me too," she smiled over at him. "I probably enjoy it a little more than I should."

"What does that mean?" Chandler asked as he led her to a vacant park bench to sit down.

"Well... I've really enjoyed the time we've had together over the last couple of weeks, Chandler. I've enjoyed it _a lot_... But, in the back of my head, there are all these reasons why I shouldn't be with you."

"Such as?" he prompted.

"For one, Emily. I love her more than anything, and I feel like all my time should be devoted to her. That's what a good mother should do, right?" she asked.

"Monica, you're an _excellent_ mother, so don't ever doubt that. And, yeah, a mother should spend time with her children, but she also needs to be happy. Mon, if you're not happy, Emily won't be happy."

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right," she agreed.

"Okay. So, what are those other reasons?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking down their interlocking hands, then she looked back up at him. "Chandler, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, because you've been wonderful. You're such a great guy, and I'm lucky to have found someone like you," she smiled, then returned her gaze to their hands. "It's just... The few guys I've managed to meet since Emily was born haven't stayed around for long - only long enough to make it seem that they weren't leaving because they found out about her. And I'm so afraid that you're going to do the same thing," she admitted.

"Oh, Monica," he said quietly. He reached over and gently tilted her chin up until her eyes met his. "I'm not leaving," he stated firmly. "If you want me to leave, you're gonna have to make me," he teased.

She smiled weakly and touched his cheek gently. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he replied as he reached up to brush her hair away from her face. "You know, I'd really like to kiss you right now," he said quietly.

"I'd really like it if you would," Monica said softly.

Chandler leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Wow," she uttered, smiling at him.

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her again. Once the kiss was over, they pulled away from each other and just stared at one another for a few seconds. "I think I'd have to agree with your first impression," he smiled. "Wow."

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"Thank you for understanding. About Emily, and...the other things," Monica said to Chandler one evening as they talked over coffee in Central Perk.

"Stop thanking me," Chandler chuckled. "I should be thanking _you_ - for having the nerve to put up with me as much as you have."

She laughed. "You know, you're right," she teased.

"Hey. You were supposed to say that I'm a delight to be around and that I'm an interesting and charming gentleman."

"I was supposed to say all that?" Monica smiled. "You really think highly of yourself, don't you?"  


"Come on! What is this? Pick on Chandler night?" he said, pretending to be hurt.

"Why not?" Monica smiled. He smiled back at her and reached over to take her hand. "Chandler, seriously, it means a lot to me. We don't have a lot of time together because of Emily, and I'm glad that you understand why I don't want you to spend a lot of time with her right now." She'd already told him that she didn't want him to spend a lot of time with her daughter until they knew what was going to come of their relationship. There was no point in letting Emily get attached to someone who might not be around for long.

"It's not a problem, Mon. For what it's worth, I really think we're going to make it... And I'll wait as long as you want for me to get to know her. I don't think she's going to be that difficult to get along with... As for the other things... Not a problem. I admire you for wanting to wait."

"It's just... After what happened the last time, I'd like to know that I'm with a guy who's going to stick around before we get into a situation that might leave Emily with a little brother or sister," she smiled slightly. "And with Emily around, I don't think I'd feel comfortable having an overnight guest unless I was married to him."

"I understand. I just want us to spend time together. At least this way there's no pressure on either of us when it comes to that part of the relationship. No worrying about it," he smiled.

"Right... You're such a great guy, Chandler," she said sincerely. "I didn't think men like you existed, and then I'm sitting here one night and look up from my reading, and there you are. Standing right in front of me."

Chandler just smiled at her and squeezed her hand gently. "I'm glad I met you... You're a pretty incredible woman yourself, you know."

"Oh, I know," she teased, then leaned over to kiss him tenderly. "I should get home to Emily."

"Yeah... Good night," he said and kissed her once more.

"Good night," she said quietly once the kiss was over. "I'll see you soon."

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"Hey, Joe, could you hurry up in there? My date's supposed to be here in about five minutes and I kinda need to get in there before she gets here," Chandler yelled through the bathroom door in the apartment he shared with his best friend, Joey. Chandler and Monica had gotten to know each other rather well in the last few weeks. They'd been spending several evenings together each week, whenever Monica was able to leave Emily with her brother. Chandler had never enjoyed his time with a woman the way he enjoyed his time with Monica. They fit together perfectly. It was like they had known each other for years instead of mere weeks. He looked forward to spending time with her - and he was ready to spend a little _more_ time with her, if Joey would just get out of the bathroom.

"Come on, Chandler. You don't have to yell," Joey said calmly when he exited the bathroom.

Chandler sighed. "Yeah. Fine," he said before closing the bathroom door behind him.

Once his roommate had stepped into the bathroom to prepare for his date, Joey stepped into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. Just as he finished putting it together, there was a knock at the door and he carried his snack with him as he went to answer it. He opened the door and his freshly made sandwich dropped to the floor when he saw who was on the other side.

"Joey?"

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A/N - Ooo... Anyone know what's goin' on? This one isn't my best work, although there is a bit of a cliffhanger, I suppose... Can't really say much about that until the next chapter, but boy do I have a lot of stuff to say about it. No turning back now... Anyway... Please let me know what you thought.


	5. Chapter Five

A/N - Again, thanks for your reviews. This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but it's better than the last one, I think. Okay... Let's see what's goin' on...

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There You Are

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Chapter Five

"Joey?" Monica said quietly when she saw who had answered the door. He looked just as shocked as she felt.

"Monica?" he said, staring at her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I, um... I'm supposed to be meeting someone. Chandler Bing. This is apartment fourteen, right?" she asked, looking at the number on the door again.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. Chandler's here. Um... Come in, I guess," he said, motioning for her to enter the apartment.

"Hey, Monica," Chandler smiled when he saw her enter the living room, followed by Joey. "I see you two have met."

"Yeah, we've met all right," Joey said quietly.

It was then that Chandler noticed how pale Monica looked. "Monica? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he guided her over to a recliner.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said after a brief pause. "Just fine," she lied.

Chandler looked from Monica to Joey, noticing that they both seemed a little out of it. "Do you two know each other?" he asked. He knew that there was a pretty good chance that Joey knew every woman within a hundred mile radius. The thought that Monica might be one of Joey's many conquests had never crossed his mind - until now.

"You could say that," Joey answered nervously.

"Monica? What's going on?" Chandler asked.

She looked up at him, then at Joey, then back to Chandler. "Joey is, um... He's Emily's father," she said quietly.

Chandler's eyes widened and he took a step back so he could fall into the other recliner. "Oh boy," he said quietly. "Oh boy," he repeated, putting his head in his hands. After a few seconds of unnerving silence, he looked up at Joey and then over at Monica, opening his mouth to speak. It was then that he realized he had absolutely no idea what to say.

Joey decided to break the silence. "Emily? A girl?" he asked simply.

"Yeah. A girl," Monica answered. After another brief lull in the conversation, she spoke again. "Maybe I should just go. I had no idea you would be here," she said, looking at Joey. She touched Chandler's arm lightly as she started to speak to him. "And you probably need some time to take this in, Chandler."

"I, um... No. I mean... I don't know," Chandler stuttered. "Maybe _I_ should go. Because I'm not sure I can stop myself from doing what I'm thinking about doing to you, Joey," he said, glaring at his friend. "And, believe me, what I'm thinking about would not be good for your career. Actors shouldn't have broken noses and black eyes."

"Chandler, don't," Monica said quietly. "Don't do anything stupid. You'll regret it later."

"Did you regret it?" Joey asked, referring to their little fling.

"Do I regret having my baby?" she said. "Absolutely not," she answered firmly. "Do I regret making a foolish decision that altered the way I thought my life would go? Sometimes, yeah."

"Maybe she wouldn't regret it if the father of her baby hadn't thrown his hands up and taken absolutely no responsibility for what he'd done," Chandler said, glaring at Joey. "Maybe the father of her baby should have done something to support his kid. Maybe I always knew you were gonna do something stupid like this. It was bound to happen someday," Chandler said angrily.

"Excuse me, Mr. Know-It-All, but I don't think this is any of your business," Joey retorted.

"Oh yeah? Well, unlike you, I've seen your little girl. No. I've seen _Monica's_ little girl. And what are people going to tell her one day when she asks about her father? 'Oh, sorry, kid. Your dad was the love 'em and leave 'em type and he didn't care to stick around to help your mother out. He was a big baby himself when you were born.'"

"Guys, I'm leaving," Monica interrupted, standing up to leave. "I can't listen to this," she said as she walked toward the door.

"No, Monica, don't go," Chandler called, following after her.

"I have to," she replied. "I can't do this right now... Call me tonight," she called as she exited the apartment.

Chandler turned back to face Joey. "I'd run, if I were you. In any other situation, you could probably beat me to death before I could get in a punch. But, right now, I am so disgusted with you that one clenched fist in your face would knock you out for a good hour or so."

"Don't be stupid. I -"

"_Stupid?!_ You wanna talk about _stupid?!_ Okay, let's talk about stupid. Hey, Joe, how _stupid_ was it for you to tell that amazing woman that you didn't want to have anything to do with her or her baby? How _stupid_ was it for you to act like the biggest baby in the world and run away when things got tough? How _stupid_ was it for you to not take responsibility for what you did to her life? Huh? Is that enough? I could go on, if you want. Because, trust me, you've done a lot of stupid things."

"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want me to say?" Joey asked. "That wasn't supposed to happen. It was a mistake."

"A mistake? That beautiful little girl was a mistake? Choose your words carefully, Joe, because I'm not too happy with you right now," Chandler replied angrily.

"And I'm supposed to care what you think of me? It's my life, not yours. What would _you_ do, Chandler? What would you say if a woman came to you weeks after your little fling was over and told you that she was pregnant? Huh? Would _you_ stick around? Would _you_ be happy about it?" Joey retorted.

"I would freak out about it, but -"

"See? You would have freaked out. That's what happened," Joey interrupted.

"_But_," Chandler continued, "I wouldn't tell her that I never wanted to see her or the baby. I would own up to my actions, Joey. This was over _four years_ ago. Do you have any idea what Monica and her daughter have been through because of you?"

"I don't know... I never really thought about it," Joey admitted.

"Well, maybe you _should_ have thought about it," Chandler said angrily before walking out the door of the apartment.

==========

A/N - Yes, Joey is the father. I didn't think I could do it, but I did. I _almost_ made Joey the father of Monica's baby in another one of my stories, but I chickened out. That one was awful, by the way. Anyway... Please let me know what you thought.


	6. Chapter Six

A/N - Hello, again! Thanks again for your reviews. I hope you're enjoying this. This chapter isn't really very eventful, so I hope it's okay...

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****

There You Are

__

Chapter Six

__

Knock! Knock!

"I'll get it!" Emily exclaimed, racing toward the door while Monica followed close behind her.

The little girl opened the door just as Monica reached her. Monica was surprised to see Chandler standing there. She'd just left him alone with Joey a couple of hours ago, and she hadn't expected to see him again so soon.

"Look, Mommy. It's that man," she said, pointing at Chandler and trying to whisper her statement to her mother.

"That's Chandler, honey," Monica replied, then leaned over to pick up her daughter. "Come on in," she said, leading Chandler into the living room.

"What's he doing here?" Emily asked as Monica put her down by the coffee table where she'd been playing with blocks before the knock at the door.

"I just came over to see you and your mom," Chandler answered. "Is that okay?"

Emily studied him for a moment, then nodded and went back to her blocks.

"I'm sorry about before," Monica said quietly.

"It's not your fault," he replied.

Monica smiled slightly at him, then turned back to her daughter. "Emily, I think it's about time for your nap."

"No," she stated firmly.

"Yes," Monica replied, giving her daughter the look that only a mother can pull off.

"Okay," she sighed.

"Make yourself comfortable," Monica said, looking back to Chandler. "I'll be back in a few minutes and we can talk," she said before taking Emily into her bedroom.

About ten minutes later, Monica emerged from Emily's room and shut the door gently. "Once she gets settled down, it doesn't take long to get her to sleep," she smiled as she joined Chandler in the living room.

Chandler smiled slightly. "Monica, if I had known that Joey had done this to you, I would have done something about it. I mean, he didn't even tell me about you. I would have knocked some sense into him or something. I wish I could have done something."

"You couldn't, Chandler," Monica assured him. "That's in the past. There's nothing anyone can do to change how the last four years have gone. The future is the only thing I'm worried about."

"If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it. If you want to talk to Joey, I can arrange it. If you need some time, I'll step away. If you want me to knock him out, I'll gladly do it. Anything you want."

"That's very sweet," Monica smiled weakly, then felt the tears that she'd somehow managed to hold back until now start to fall. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she admitted. "I was fine. I was perfectly fine, until I saw him today."

Chandler put his arm around her and asked the question that he was afraid to hear the answer to. "Do you, um... Do you want to get back together with him?"

"With Joey?" Monica asked, looking at Chandler. He nodded. "No. No, of course not," she assured him, wiping away her tears.

"Are you sure? I mean, he's the father of your baby, Monica."

"I know that," she said quietly. "But that doesn't mean that being with him would make everything perfect. I didn't love him, Chandler. I love the little girl that resulted from being with him, but I don't love him."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking down at his hands.

She sighed. "I'm sure," she answered firmly. She reached over to put her hand on his, causing him to look up at her. "Look. I know that today isn't really the best day to be telling you this, and maybe I shouldn't tell you so soon, but I think I'm falling in love with you."

"Really?" he said quietly, allowing himself to smile slightly. She nodded. "You know, I think I'm falling in love with you, too," he said quietly. "I didn't want to tell you - partly because I was worried about moving too fast, and partly because I was scared to death about feeling this way - but I am."

She smiled and reached over to hug him tightly. After staying in his embrace for what seemed like an eternity, she reluctantly pulled away. "So... What do we do?" she asked. "About Joey, I mean. Is he going to be a problem?"

"You mean, do I think he's gonna try to keep us apart?" he asked.

"Well... I just... Is it gonna be a problem for you, knowing that he's Emily's father? It might be a little weird."

"Maybe... But I think I'll get used to it." He sighed. "And I think you two should talk. I don't know what will come of it, but I think you need to. He never should have walked away from the two of you. He's so stupid," he said, the disappointment he was feeling toward his friend evident in his voice.

"You know what? I think you need to calm down before we talk about this."

"Yeah, you're right," he sighed. "Do you want to talk to Joey now? I can stay here with Emily, if you want."

"Do you think he'll talk to me?" she asked.

"If he doesn't, I'll take care of him," Chandler replied.

"Don't do anything to him, Chandler. Yeah, he walked out on me, but I let him off the hook. I told him he didn't have to stay around. It's just as much my fault as it was his."

"No, it's not. He should have been a man. He should have owned up to his actions. He should have -"

"Okay, okay," Monica interrupted. "Just calm down... Are you sure you can handle staying with her right now?"

"Well, she's sleeping. It shouldn't be too hard... Should it?"

"Not unless she wakes up," Monica smiled slightly. "Maybe I should just wait and talk to him later."

"No. Go ahead. I'll be fine with her," he assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm positive," he answered.

"Okay... You have my cell phone number, so call me if you need anything at all."

"Will do," he replied.

"She should sleep for awhile, but if she needs anything, call me, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed again. "Just talk to Joey... And, while you're at it, feel free to tell him that I'll beat the crap out of him if you just say the word."

She laughed. "I'll do that," she smiled.

"Good luck."

"Yeah. Good luck to you, too."

==========

A/N - Not a whole lot, I guess, but I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you thought...


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. Um... I'm not quite sure if this chapter turned out as well as I wanted it to, but I've worked and worked on it, so I'm just gonna let it go and post it. I've got another two chapters written, but they need even more work than this one did. Anyway... I hope you like this one. Please let me know what you think...

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There You Are

__

Chapter Seven

"She's back, Pheebs. I never thought I'd see her again, and guess what? _Chandler_ is dating her. Of all the women in the world, he had to pick her," Joey sighed as he talked to one of his best friends over the telephone just after Chandler left. Phoebe was the only one who knew about the baby Joey had fathered. It was their little secret, and both of them were surprised that they had held onto it for as long as they had.

"What are you gonna do?" Phoebe asked curiously.

"I don't know. What am I _supposed_ to do? Chandler's ready to kill me already."

"Oh, come on. Who's he kiddin'?"

"He means it, Pheebs. And I don't know how I didn't already know it was her. He talks about her all the time."

"So the same Monica he's madly in love with is the same Monica you knocked up four years ago?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered. "But he never said she had a kid. Why didn't he say she had a kid?"

"I don't know, Joey, but you're gonna have to talk to Monica. She's probably freaking out right now."  
  
"And I'm not?!" he yelled.

"Calm down," Phoebe said soothingly. "It'll be fine. Just take a little time to think about what you want to do, and relax, okay? I'm sure you'll have to talk to her again sooner or later."  
  
"Yeah... Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Pheebs."

"Happy to help," Phoebe replied before hanging up the phone.

==========

Monica walked up to the door of Chandler and Joey's apartment about an hour later and knocked lightly. Part of her was hoping that he wouldn't answer. Part of her wanted to run. Another part of her wanted everything to be out in the open. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to see him again.

She didn't get a chance to run, because Joey opened the door after a few seconds. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied. "Can I, um... Can we talk?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess we should," he answered and led her into the apartment. They sat down in the recliners, facing each other. Joey sighed loudly. "Have you seen Chandler? He walked out a little while after you left. He's pretty upset with me."

"Yeah, I saw him," she informed him. "He's staying with Emily right now, actually."

"Oh... So... How old is she now? Two? Three?" he asked, not even looking at her.

"Almost four," she answered.

"Wow. Four," he said, looking at Monica, then back down at the floor. "Is she all right? Are _you_ all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. We're both fine," she assured him.

"That's great," he replied. "Listen... I know I was stupid. I know that I shouldn't have let you walk away, but... I couldn't do it, Monica."

"I gave you a choice, Joey. It's not entirely your fault. I told you that you didn't have to be a part of her life, and I meant that. I just... Sometimes I wonder... Do you regret the choice you made? Would you change it if you could?"

"I, um..." He paused, unsure of what he should say to her. He wasn't sure which answer she wanted to hear. "Sometimes I wonder... But, most of the time, I think I made the right decision."

"What do you think right now?" she asked curiously.

"I think she's better off without me. I'm not dad material," he replied. "And I like my life how it is right now. Nothing to tie me down, you know?"

"No, I don't. Not anymore," she smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "But I really think you're both better off without me. And Chandler? He loves you. He's a good guy. And Emily would be lucky to have him in her life."

"Yeah... She really would," Monica agreed.

"What you said before - when Chandler was here. You really don't regret having her?" he asked.

"No. I could _never_ regret having that beautiful little girl. She's my entire life... And maybe things didn't work out exactly the way I had planned, but sometimes life's like that," she shrugged. "And sometimes the things that aren't planned turn out to be the best things in your life. Like Emily."

Joey looked at her in amazement. He'd turned his back on her at a time in her life when she'd needed someone the most, but she seemed to be perfectly content with the way things had turned out. "Monica, if you need money or something, I can help you out. It might not be much, but I owe you something."

"No. I don't want your money," she said. "We're fine."

"Do you have a picture of her?" he asked. "I'd just like to see her, if you don't mind."

"Yeah. I've got one," she said, beginning to search through her purse. "Here," she said after a few seconds of searching.

He took the wallet sized picture from her and smiled. "She looks exactly like you," he observed. "You'd never know she was my kid."

"Yeah, I know. It makes it a little easier," she admitted. "And I kind of like having a miniature version of myself running around," she laughed lightly.

He handed the picture back to her. "I don't want to interfere with your life, or her life," he said, "but if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me. I owe you that, after what I did... I always thought that if something like this happened to me, I'd do the right thing. I guess I was wrong."

"I don't know about that. I don't mean to put you down or anything, but I think things are better off this way. There have been times when I've had my doubts, but things are going well for the two of us. And I don't think I'd want to change anything in the past anymore. Some things have been tough, but everything is starting to turn out for the better now."

"With Chandler?" he asked curiously.

"Well, yeah," she answered. "I mean, we haven't known each other for a long time, but there's something there."

"Chandler's a good guy," Joey said sincerely.

"Yeah, he really is," Monica agreed. They were both quiet for a moment before Monica spoke again. "So, um... I guess I should go. There could be trouble if Emily wakes up before I get home."

"Yeah. Better take care of her," he smiled slightly. "And, um... I'm glad you're okay. You and Emily," he added sincerely. "Now, I hate to ask, but could you do me a favor and talk Chandler out of killing me the next time he sees me?"

"I'll do my best," she said and stood to leave. "Goodbye, Joey."

"Bye, Monica."


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N - Again, thanks for your reviews on the last chapter. Um... I hope this one's okay. I've got one more chapter finished after this one, and I'm trying to decide if I really want to use the idea I'm playing around with, so it might take a little longer for the next chapters. Anyway... I hope you like this one. Please let me know what you think...

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There You Are

__

Chapter Eight

"Hi," Monica called when she entered her apartment later that afternoon. Chandler and Emily were playing with dolls in the living room floor. Monica had to smile at the sight of Chandler with Emily in his lap, helping her "feed" her doll.

"Mommy!" she exclaimed, jumping up from Chandler's lap and running over to hug Monica.

"Hey, sweetie. Did you miss me?" Monica asked, picking up her daughter and carrying her into the living room to join Chandler.

"Uh huh," she answered as the two of them sat down on the couch.

"Did Chandler take good care of you?"

"We played, Mommy," she said, jumping out of Monica's lap and walking over to Chandler who was still holding the doll Emily had given him.

"I see that," Monica smiled. "Did you two have fun?"

"Yes... Chandler's my friend, Mommy."

"I'm glad you like him, honey," Monica replied, smiling over at Chandler who smiled back at her in return.

"Everything okay?" Chandler asked reluctantly.

"Yeah. Everything's fine," she assured him. She turned back to Emily. "Emily, honey, do you think we should ask Chandler to stay for dinner?"

"Yes! Please, Chandler?" she pleaded with her newfound friend.

"Well, it depends on what we're having," Chandler teased.

"Emily's favorite. Spaghetti," Monica replied.

"You're kidding?" he gasped, looking at Emily with wide eyes, which received a giggle from the little girl. "Spaghetti is _my_ favorite, too!"

"So I guess that means you'll stay?" Monica laughed.

  
"Yeah. I'd love to," Chandler smiled at her.

"Good... Now, you kids have fun, and I'm gonna start dinner."

==========

After dinner, Monica gave Emily her bath and, after wrestling her away from Chandler, tucked her into bed for the night. Once the little girl had fallen asleep, Monica rejoined Chandler in the living room, where he had been entertaining himself with the television.

"Hey," she said as she walked over to join him on the couch.

"Hey," he replied, flipping off the television and turning to look at her. "So? How'd it go?" he asked, wondering about what she and Joey had discussed earlier.

"It was fine, I guess," she answered. "He asked me to make sure you didn't come home and kill him," she smiled.

"Well, that depends on what he said to you."

"Don't get mad," Monica began.

"Don't get mad? I don't like the beginning of this conversation," Chandler replied. "What did he say?"

"He said that he thought he made the right choice. He said that he thought Emily and I were better off without him."

"Did you agree?"

"Yeah, kind of. We're fine without him. I've already told you that, before you knew he was your roommate - before _I_ knew he was your roommate."

"So... What's the plan? Does he want to see her?"

"He said that he doesn't want to interfere in our lives. And he also told me that Emily would be lucky to have _you_ in her life," she smiled slightly.

He smiled back at her. "Well... She's a great kid. I really had fun with her tonight."

"I'm glad," Monica said, then reached over to squeeze his hand. "So... Are you still planning on attacking Joey when you go home?"

"Do you want me to?" he asked, completely serious. If she told him to, he'd probably rush home and take care of his roommate at that very moment.

"No. I think it's better this way. And if things work out between us -" She stopped herself before she said something that might scare him off. "Well, we'll just have to figure that out when the time's right," Monica answered.

Chandler smiled at her, and they sat there in silence for a few minutes, both of them wondering what should be said next. Chandler broke the silence.

"Monica, there's something that I haven't told you, and I think that now is as good a time as any," he began nervously. "And I'm not sure how you're gonna take this, but I think you should know."

"Okay," she replied worriedly. "What is it?"

"You know how upset I was when I found out what Joey had done to you?" She nodded. "Well, I almost did the same thing to someone else."

"What? What _Joey_ did?"

"Yeah. What Joey did," Chandler answered.

"You mean... You have a child?" Monica asked, shocked.

"No. No, I don't," he replied. "I almost did."

"What do you mean_ almost_? How do you _almost_ have a child?" She was definitely confused.

"Well, I _did_... Maybe I should just start at the beginning," he suggested. She nodded. "I was dating this woman - Erica - a few years ago. We weren't really serious or anything. Just a fling, I guess. And, a few weeks after we broke up, she showed up at my apartment to tell me that she was pregnant."

"And you abandoned her?" Monica asked. The Chandler she had gotten to know over the past few weeks didn't seem like the kind of man who would run away like Joey had done.

"Kind of... Yeah," he said. "But, after thinking it over, I realized that I was stupid to do that, so I called her. And, for the next few months, I helped her out when I could with doctor's appointments and planning for the baby - picking out names, buying those tiny little outfits, learning how to change diapers... I was starting to get really excited about it, actually, once I got used to the idea that I was going to be a father," he smiled slightly.

"Then what happened?" Monica asked curiously.

"Erica went into labor early. I barely made it to the hospital, but I got there to see the baby the few minutes she was alive. She was so tiny," he said quietly, tears starting to form in his eyes. "We named her Elizabeth... Elizabeth Bing."

"Oh, Chandler," Monica said quietly, reaching over to put her arms around him. "I can't imagine... If something were to happen to Emily, I..." They were both in tears as they clung to each other.

After a few minutes of crying while Monica rubbed his back soothingly, Chandler finally pulled away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that," he said after wiping his tears away. "It's just... I've never really told anyone about that."

"Does Joey know?" she asked hesitantly.

"No. This happened before he moved in," he informed her. "I, um... I just thought you should know about it."

"Chandler, I don't even know what to say."

He smiled weakly. "That's okay. I don't know what to say myself sometimes," he said. "I guess that whole ordeal is what made me get so upset with Joey when I found out that he was the one who did this to you. I mean, you were lucky. Emily's healthy and happy, and you're fine. But if I had left Erica like Joey left you, she would have had to deal with that alone. And I never would have gotten to see my little girl... I just... I still don't understand what he was thinking."

"I know," she said quietly. "Chandler?"  


"Yeah?"

"Do you still see Erica?" she asked curiously.

"No. Not anymore. After Elizabeth was born, we leaned on each other for awhile. I guess no one else can really understand unless they've lost a child, too, and I know that we'll always have that connection," he answered quietly, looking down at the floor. "But we never planned to stay together, even if Elizabeth had survived."

"Oh," Monica answered, then turned Chandler's head so he was looking at her. "I want you to know that I love you," she said quietly. "I wondered if I'd ever say that to any man, and now that I know how I feel about you, I just... I have to tell you. I love you."

He smiled and brushed away the tears from her cheeks. "I love you, too," he said quietly before leaning in to kiss her tenderly. "I love you."


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N - Sorry it's taken so long to get this one up, but I've been extremely busy lately, unfortunately. I'd been complaining about _not_ having anything to do, and now that I've _got_ something to do, I have _too_ much to do. Anyway... I have managed to write a little more for this and, unless I change my mind again, there are still going to be several more chapters. Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter, and I hope this one's okay...

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There You Are

__

Chapter Nine

Chandler returned to his apartment later that evening to find Joey watching television in the living room.

"Hey," he said upon hearing his roommate enter.

"Hey," Chandler replied, still a little upset with his friend's actions.

"Did you, um... Talk to Monica?" Joey asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," he answered simply, not making eye contact.

"Oh... Great," Joey replied. "Um... Are you still mad at me?"

Chandler looked at him and sighed. "What do you think, Joe?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know... If I had known you were dating her, I would have -"

"You would have what?" Chandler asked angrily, then stopped himself. "You know what? I promised Monica that I wouldn't yell at you tonight, and I intend to keep that promise. Good night, Joey," he said before walking toward his bedroom.

"Chandler, wait. I'm sorry. I really am. But you don't understand. It's never happened to you."

Chandler didn't even turn to look at him. "It _did_ happen to me. And I certainly didn't handle it the way you did," he responded before entering his room and slamming the door behind him.

==========

"How are things with you and Joey?" Monica asked several days later as she and Chandler sat together in her apartment. Emily was out with Rachel, on a shopping trip.

"Not great," Chandler answered honestly. "I haven't really talked to him much since that night."

"Chandler, don't do this. I thought he was your best friend."

"He _was_," Chandler replied. "But that was before I knew what kind of man he really is."

"Listen to me," Monica said, taking Chandler's hands in hers. "It wasn't entirely his fault. I gave him a choice, Chandler. And Emily and I are better off without him."

"But you don't know how many women he's been with. Who knows how many illegitimate children he's got out there?"

Monica dropped his hands and stood up from the couch, then started to walk toward the kitchen.

"Monica, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. That was insensitive."

"No, it's okay," she said quietly. "I just... I don't like to think about things like that. But you're right. Joey does seem to get around."

"Yeah... I didn't mean anything by that, Mon. I wasn't thinking."

"I know," she smiled slightly. "Just forget about it, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, then pulled her into his arms as she rejoined him on the couch. "You know, I've been thinking about some things, and I was just wondering... Do you think it would be okay if I started getting to know Emily a little better? I mean, if you still think it's too soon, that's okay, but I'd really like to spend time with her."

"I'd like that, too," Monica said quietly, resting her head on Chandler's chest. "But I need you to do something first."

"Anything you want," he replied.

"Good," she said, then pulled away to look at him. "I want you to make up with Joey."

"What?" he asked, surprised by her request. "Monica, you do know what he did to you, right?"

"Yes, I know," she answered. "But... Emily is his daughter - biologically, at least. And I just don't want you to hate him."

He sighed loudly. "If that's what you want, I'll do it."

"Thank you," she said and hugged him tightly.

==========

"Hi, Chandler!" Phoebe greeted cheerily when he entered his apartment later that afternoon.

"Hey, Pheebs," Chandler smiled slightly, noticing Joey sitting right beside her.

"You know, we were just talking about you," Phoebe said. Her statement received a nudge from Joey. "Well, we were," she said, glaring at Joey. "And I was telling Joey that you two need to get over it and talk through this." This statement received heavy sighs from both Joey and Chandler. "Oh, come on, guys. Can't we all just get along?" she whined.

"I don't think he wants to talk to me, Pheebs," Joey said.

"You know what? Actually, I do need to talk to you. Monica asked me to," Chandler replied.

"Oh, great!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I'm just gonna get out of here so you two can kiss and make up. Oh, wait," she continued, realizing what she'd just said. "No kissing. Just making up.. Unless there's something you guys haven't told me," she grinned, and received angry looks from both of her friends. "Alrighty then. See you two later," she said before hurrying out the door.

Chandler shuffled his feet and kept his gaze focused on the floor. "I, um... Monica wanted me to talk to you. Try to get over this, you know."

"Yeah. So, um... Where should we start?" Joey asked.

Chandler looked up from the floor and at his roommate. "When you and Monica were dating... Did you love her? Or was it just another one of your meaningless flings?"

Joey looked at him, a little shocked. "You know, I have a feeling that either answer could upset you, so I'm not quite sure which one to give."

"Give me the truth," Chandler said, looking him directly in his eyes.  


"Okay... The truth." Joey took a deep breath before answering. "I wasn't in love with her. I mean, she seemed like a great girl and everything, but I think you know that love isn't exactly what I'm looking for, know what I mean?" he smirked. Chandler glared at him, and Joey changed his facial expression quickly. "Sorry. I meant that, um, I just... It wasn't really meaningless, but... It wasn't something I wanted for the long run."

"Okay," Chandler sighed, taking the recliner beside Joey and turning to face him. "What about Emily? Do you want to be her dad?"

"I already talked to Monica about that," Joey answered, looking down at the floor. "I don't want to mess up the kid's life, Chandler. She's never known me. And I don't think Monica really wants me around... Besides, I think she's got another guy in mind for taking over what I gave up... You."

"Me?" Chandler asked.

"Yeah, you. And, truthfully, I think you'd be a much better father for Emily than I could ever be."

"Joey, if you had stuck around, you could have been her dad. That's one of the greatest feelings you could ever know."

"Is this... I mean, what you said the other day... Do you have a kid that I don't know about?"

"Well, I did. Not anymore. She only lived a few minutes, but it felt really wonderful to be somebody's dad for those few minutes. And you've missed that, Joe. For almost four years, you've missed that."

"I had no idea," Joey said, amazed that Chandler had kept that little bit of important information from him for the years they'd known each other and grown to be best friends. "I'm so sorry, man."

"Yeah," Chandler smiled sadly. "Thanks."

"I want you to be the guy in Emily's life, Chandler. I've thought about it a lot, since Monica showed up. You love her. I know that. You've made that pretty obvious. And I get the feeling that she loves you, too."

"Yeah... Yeah, she does," Chandler said quietly.

"Then go for it," Joey said, patting his friend's back. "Don't let me ruin it. You were right. I did mess up Monica's life, and I shouldn't have run away like that. But I don't want to do anymore damage."

"Are you sure you don't want to be in Emily's life?" Chandler asked.

"Well, if you're in it - and I have a feeling that you will be - then I can be Uncle Joey. I don't deserve to be Dad."

"Joey, I -"

"No, it's okay. I've really thought this over, and I don't want to be her dad. Just believe me, okay? I may have made a dumb decision a few years ago, but this is the right one... So... Are we good?"

"I, um... I think so," Chandler replied. "But are you sure you aren't gonna change your mind?"

"I'm positive," Joey assured him. "It's better this way."


	10. Chapter Ten

A/N - Well, here's the next one... Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter. This one isn't very eventful, but I hope you like it. I've got chapters eleven and twelve - and part of thirteen - finished, but I want to make sure I can get from those chapters to what I want to happen next. Did that even make sense? Well, anyway, I've got a little writing to do before I put up the next one. I should have some time to kill on Friday, so maybe I'll have the next one up by the weekend. But for now, I hope you like this one.

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There You Are

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Chapter Ten

"Mommy, when's Chandler coming?" Emily asked impatiently as she sat in the living room floor, playing with a teddy bear.

"Honey, he should be here soon," Monica answered as she glanced at her watch again. He was already fifteen minutes late, and she was beginning to wonder if he had changed his mind about spending more time with her and Emily. He had already told her about making up with Joey, although Monica hadn't gotten any of the details from that conversation. She assumed that they were at least acting civil toward one another.

__

Knock! Knock!

"Chandler!" Emily exclaimed, rushing toward the door. She'd been looking forward to seeing her new best friend again since their baby-sitting adventure.

Monica reached the door just as Emily reached for the doorknob. "I'll get it," Monica said, stopping Emily from opening the door. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Chandler.

"Chandler!" the little girl exclaimed again and reached up for him to pick her up.

"Hey, cutie," Chandler laughed and reached over to get her. Emily wrapped her arms around his neck. "Miss me?" he teased, smiling over at Monica.

"I think she might have missed you a little bit," Monica grinned.

"I missed you, too," Chandler said, looking at the little girl in his arms. "I didn't have anybody to play with at my house."

"I'll play!" Emily assured him.

"I'm sure you will," he laughed, then looked over at Monica. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up at work."

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it," Monica replied. "We're just glad you're here now."

"So… Who wants to go out for ice cream?" Chandler asked.

"Me!" Emily answered excitedly.

"Well, maybe we should make sure it's okay with your mommy first. Don't you think?"

"Yes. Mommy, can we have ice cream with Chandler?" she asked, pleading with a cute little puppy dog face. "Please?"  


"Yes, we can have ice cream," Monica replied. "But someone needs to put on her shoes first."

"Okay," she said. "Come on, Chandler."

"I guess I get to help, huh?" Chandler chuckled.

"I'll give you a hand," Monica said. "Come on," she continued, leading Chandler, who was still holding Emily, into the little girl's bedroom.

Monica walked over to the closet while Chandler put Emily into her pint-sized rocking chair in the corner of the room. Soon Monica returned to them with a pair of pink tennis shoes.

"Ooo… Pretty," Chandler smiled.

"They're my favorites," Emily informed him. "And they're like my shirt. See?" she said, indicating her pale pink t-shirt.

"I see that," Chandler replied as he helped her put on the first shoe. "You know what? I have a pair just like these at home," he teased.

"No you don't," Emily giggled. "Pink is for girls… And they're too little for you."

"Okay, so I don't have any like these," he admitted as he tied the second shoe, "but I like 'em… Okay. All finished."

"Ready to go?" Monica asked as she held out Emily's jacket.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

Monica helped Emily put on the jacket, then kissed her cheek. "Well, let's go."

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" Emily asked.

"Well… I don't have much experience with piggy back rides, but I think we could give it a try," he smiled. He picked her up and carefully placed her on his shoulders.

"Hey, that's not fair. I want a piggy back ride, too," Monica teased.

"You're too big, Mommy," Emily explained. "When you're little, you can do it, too."

"Okay. When I'm little," Monica laughed. "Let's go," she said again, leading them into the living room, then out the front door.

==========

"Emily, be careful, honey!" Monica called as she watched her little girl run over to the playground in the park.

"She's full of energy," Chandler laughed. "I don't think I remember ever having the energy to run to every single place I wanted to go."

"Well, kids are good at that," Monica smiled at him as the couple sat down on a bench near the playground. "She keeps me on my toes."

"Yeah, I guess so," he smiled back at her. He looked over at Emily, who was now playing in the sandbox with another little girl. "Do you think she likes me?" Chandler asked. "I mean, I know kids can be picky, so I was just wondering if you think she likes me."

Monica smiled at him. "Chandler, are you kidding me? She _loves_ you," she assured him. "When I was trying to get her to go to bed last night, she kept asking me how much longer it would be until you got there. She absolutely adores you. All I ever hear is 'Chandler showed me this' and 'Chandler can do that' and 'Chandler is so funny, Mommy,'" she smiled, imitating her daughter.

"Really?" he grinned.

"Yes, really. You know, I was worried about her getting attached to you too soon, so it's a good thing you didn't meet her before we figured out where we were."

"Yeah… Um, Mon? Where _are_ we?"

"Where are we?" she repeated. "Well, we love each other, we want to be with each other… Right?"

"Yeah, absolutely… I just… I don't want us to move too fast, but I don't want to drag things out either."

"I know," Monica replied, looking over at Emily again. "And I want to be with you, Chandler. I really do. You're everything I've ever wanted – and more. You want to be with me, and I want to be with you, but there's a third factor here," she continued, gesturing toward Emily. "And I don't want her to get hurt. We've got some things to work through before we make a major commitment. I mean, you're already making one right now, spending time with Emily like this."

"You're right. We do have some things that we need to work through before we rush into anything. But this is right, Monica. _We're_ right. I know that."

"I do, too," she smiled.

Chandler reached over and squeezed her hand gently just as Emily rushed back over to them, crying.

"Em, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Monica asked worriedly, immediately putting her daughter on her lap. As soon as she was seated, Monica started looking her over for any cuts or scrapes.

"Mommy, that boy said I couldn't play with his bucket," she cried, pointing over at a boy who looked about twice as old as her. "And then he called me a baby and then he stuck his tongue out. He's mean!" she cried.

"It'll be okay," Monica assured her as she brushed away the little girl's tears. "Are you ready to go home? It's getting kind of late."

Emily sniffled and looked over at Chandler. "Will you come, too?" she asked hopefully.

Chandler looked at Monica, who nodded. "Sure I will," he answered. "Do you want me to carry you home?" he asked.

Emily nodded and reached for Chandler. He took her, and she buried her head in his chest. Chandler stood, then Monica joined him and they began to walk toward her apartment building. Soon the three of them were walking up the stairs to apartment twenty.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Monica asked for the hundredth time. "I know that she's heavy."

"She's fine," Chandler assured her. "And she's so cute when she's sleeping."

"I know," Monica smiled as they reached the door and she opened it to allow him to take Emily inside. She walked with him into Emily's bedroom and watched as he carefully placed the little girl on her bed, then gently kissed her forehead. He turned back to face Monica and walked into her waiting arms. "Thank you for today," she whispered. "Emily had such a good time."

"Did you have a good time?" he asked quietly.

"I had a wonderful time," she assured him, then leaned in to kiss him tenderly. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be here," he said, then gave her one more quick kiss before she walked with him to the door.

"Good night," she said as she watched him walk out the door.

"Night, Mon," Chandler replied, looking back at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she answered before closing the door. Once she was alone, she leaned against the closed door and sighed happily. "Yep," she smiled to herself. "This is it."


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N - Thanks again for your reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think...

...Wow, pretty short author's note this time, huh? Anyway...

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There You Are

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Chapter Eleven

"So, how are things going with you and Chandler?" Rachel asked curiously as she sat with Monica in the coffeehouse. The happy couple had been dating for nearly six months now, and Chandler had been spending more and more time with Emily. From what Rachel could see, it was as if he had taken her on as his own daughter – just like Monica had hoped would happen with someone someday.

"Everything's wonderful," Monica replied, then took a sip of her coffee. She put the cup down on the table in front of her and grinned at Rachel.

"What? What's going on?" Rachel asked excitedly. She could see that something was up, and she was dying to know exactly what it was.

"Nothing," Monica replied.

"Oh, come on, Mon. I saw that look you just gave me. It's something about Chandler, isn't it?" she asked hopefully.

"Well… I don't know exactly what's going on, but he asked if I could get someone to watch Emily tonight so we could have a little romantic dinner alone. I don't know, Rach. It just feels like something's going to happen tonight."

"Oh, I know!" Rachel exclaimed. "He's going to propose!"

Monica's smile turned to a frown. "Propose? I hadn't even thought about that."

"What do you mean you hadn't thought about it? I _know_ you've thought about it."

"Well, yeah, I guess I have. A little. But we haven't really talked about it… I love him, Rach. And I _want_ to marry him, but -"

"Wait a minute. You _want_ to marry him, Monica. That's all you need to know."

"You're right – if it was just me and Chandler. But this is me and Chandler and _Emily_. Whatever decision I make for myself, I'm making it for Emily, too."

"But Chandler loves her like she was his own child. And he loves you. He's a wonderful, wonderful guy, Mon."

"I know," she smiled. "You're right. I don't even know why I was second guessing myself. I just have this strange feeling… But he's the one. I know he is."

"Exactly," Rachel smiled back at her. "You're gonna be Mrs. Chandler Bing…"

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. I'm not expecting a proposal tonight. We'll have to wait and see what's going on."

"Okay. Just call me after he _does_ propose and I'll come over to look at the ring," Rachel teased.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Monica laughed lightly. "Okay, Rach. I've gotta go pick up Emily and get her ready to spend the night with my parents."

"Ooo… The whole apartment to yourselves, huh?" Rachel grinned. "Somebody's gonna get lucky tonight."

"No, Rachel. You know my thoughts on that since Emily came along."

"But if he proposes…"

"No. Not until I've got a wedding ring on my finger."

"Well, I've gotta say, I admire your strength. It's been a long time for you, Mon."

"Believe me, I know that," Monica laughed. "But I think it's romantic."

"Good for you… And good luck tonight. Have a great time."

"Oh, believe me, I will…"

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Knock! Knock!

Monica hurried out of her bedroom and to the front door, adjusting her little black dress as she neared the door. She opened the door and smiled at Chandler, who was standing there in a black suit holding a single red rose. "Hi," she smiled.

"Hi," he replied, smiling back at her. "You look absolutely incredible," he said sincerely.

"Thank you," Monica blushed. "You don't look half bad yourself," she teased.

"Thanks," he grinned. "This is for you," he said, holding out the flower for her.

"Thank you. It's beautiful," she replied as she took it from him. "I just need to get some earrings and my purse, and I'll be ready to go. Come on in," she said, gesturing for him to sit down in the living room.

Chandler sat down on the couch and picked up a stuffed bunny Emily had left on the coffee table. He smiled to himself, then returned it to its spot. "Was Emily upset that she didn't get to come along tonight?" he called.

"She was at first," Monica replied as she emerged from the bedroom. "But when she found out that she got to spend the night with Grandpa Jack, she was pretty excited. My dad absolutely spoils her when she's there."

"I guess that's what grandparents are for," he smiled as he stood to greet her. "Are you sure they don't mind keeping her?"  


"They don't mind at all," she assured him. "Even though I can't do anything right according to my mother, she loves having a granddaughter. And Dad says Emily reminds him of me when I was that age, so it makes him feel twenty five years younger. So they love having her there. It's not a problem."

"Great… I just wanted us to have a little time alone to talk," he informed her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," she replied. "Let's get out of here."

==========

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Monica asked halfway through their dinner that evening. She didn't want to rush him, but she was curious about what he wanted to discuss with her.

"Well… Where do I start?" Chandler smiled slightly. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You know that I love you, right?"

"Yes," she answered. "And I love you, too."

"Good," he smiled. "I was just wondering… Have you ever thought about the future of… Well, of us?"

"Yeah," she admitted.

"Well… When you think about the future – of us – are we married?"

"Um… It depends on how far into the future we're talking about," she smiled.

"How about any time at all? Do you want to get married someday – to me, I mean?"

"If that's what we both want, yes," she answered.

"So you think it's a good idea?" he questioned.

"What do _you_ think?" Monica asked curiously.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," he answered honestly.

She smiled at him. "Me too," she replied. He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand gently. "Chandler?"

"Yeah?"

"If we _did_ get married – you know, sometime in the future – would you want to have more children with me?"

"Absolutely," he responded without hesitation. "You want more kids, don't you?"

"Yeah. I definitely want more kids. Two more, I think."

"Two more, huh? I could handle that," he grinned.

"I'm so glad you brought this up," Monica said quietly. "I was too nervous to ask about what was going on with us - concerning marriage, I mean."

"I know… I was a little nervous about bringing it up. I mean, I know that we're in this for the long haul. I just didn't know where you stood on the marriage thing."

"I want to marry you, Chandler. When you're ready."

"Good to know," he smiled. "There's just one more thing that I wanted to talk to you about."

"And what's that?" Monica asked curiously.

"It's about Emily," he began. "If you and I _do_ decide to get married sometime in the future," he grinned, "do you think I could…"

"What, Chandler?" Monica prompted.

"Do you think I could adopt her?"

Monica looked at him in shock. "Really? You want to adopt her?"

"Well, yeah," he responded, as if she should have already known that he felt that way. "Honestly, I'm not sure what we'd have to do - about Joey, I mean - but I love her like she was my own daughter. I'd do anything for her."

"I know you would," Monica said quietly. "I'm just a little surprised, I guess. I've hoped for a long time that I'd fall in love with someone who would love Emily like you do. It just seems unreal to me sometimes when I realize that I've found him," she smiled.

"So you would consider it?" he asked.

"When we decide to get married, we'll look into that, too," Monica smiled at him.

Chandler smiled back at her and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss it tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Chandler."

==========

"Thanks for walking me home," Monica said as she and Chandler walked up the stairs to her apartment. She began digging through her purse for her keys.

"No problem," he replied. "Need some help?" he asked, noticing her struggle to find the keys.

"No, I've got it," she said, just as they reached the top of the stairs. She pulled the keys out of her purse, looked up, then dropped everything when she saw what was waiting for her at her front door.


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N - I'm sorry that this took so long to get up, but it's been hectic around here. But thank you for your reviews - and your guesses about what was at the door. Were you right? Well, you'll find out soon... Actually, if you just look down a few lines... Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please let me know what you think...

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There You Are

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Chapter Twelve

"Joey? What are you doing here?" Monica asked, completely shocked by his appearance. She hadn't seen him since their conversation about Emily months earlier.

Joey stood to greet them. "I know I should have called or something… Well, I probably shouldn't even be here to begin with," he added. "But I need to talk to you."

Monica turned to look at Chandler, then looked back at Joey. "I'm kind of busy right now," she said, beginning to pick up the items she'd dropped from her purse. Chandler leaned over to help her.

Joey looked at his friend and sighed. "Actually, I should probably just go ahead and talk to both of you." He turned back to Monica just as she and Chandler stood up again. "Is that okay?"

"I, um…" She looked over at Chandler and he simply shrugged. "Yeah," she sighed. "I guess so," she answered as she unlocked the door, leading Chandler in behind her, and Joey behind him.

"I need to call and check on Emily, so just make yourselves comfortable," she said once they were inside. "I'll be right back," she said before disappearing into her bedroom.

Joey and Chandler sat on opposite ends of the couch in complete silence, waiting for Monica to return. A few minutes later, she emerged from her bedroom and stood by the coffee table, facing the two men.

"Emily okay?" Chandler asked as Monica walked over to sit in the armchair by him.

"Yeah. She told me to tell you that Grandpa Jack gave her a new toy that she's gonna let you play with," she smiled at him. Chandler smiled back at her, then she looked over at Joey and sighed. "Listen, Joey. I'm not really sure why you're here, and I'm really not sure if I'm gonna like it," Monica began. "So let's just get it over with."

"Okay," Joey began, taking a deep breath. "I know that I told you that I didn't want to be in Emily's life and, at the time, I guess I meant that. But then… Something made me change my mind."

"Excuse me?" Monica replied. "What are you saying?"

"I want to be her dad."

"You've got to be kidding me," Chandler replied angrily. "You can't keep changing your mind, Joe."

"Well, it's your own fault," he responded. "Ever since you told me about your little girl," he said, looking at Chandler, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said about how it felt to be somebody's dad. I want that. I want to be her dad."

"But you said that you _didn't_," Chandler reminded him. "You said that you were stepping aside."

"I changed my mind," he answered simply.

"You said you wouldn't!" Chandler yelled.

"Hey," Monica interrupted, reaching over to put her hand on Chandler's knee. "Just calm down, okay?"

"Sorry," Chandler apologized. "I'm just getting a little upset again." He turned back to look at Joey. "Joey, you told me that you wanted to do the right thing. You said you didn't want to hurt her. You said that you weren't good enough to be her dad."

"I know what I said. But I've thought about it, and I want to be her dad. I _am_ her dad," he said, looking at Monica.

"No, you're not her dad," Monica answered.

"What?!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up from his spot on the couch. "You said that she was my kid!"

"Sit down and keep your mouth shut, Joey," Monica demanded. Joey obeyed, and she continued. "You're her _father_. You're not her _dad_. The closest thing she's ever had to a dad is Chandler," she said sincerely.

"I know I've not been there, but don't I deserve another chance?"

"Another chance? Joey, I've given you two chances already, and both times you made it perfectly clear that you didn't want Emily. I'm not sure you _do_ deserve another chance."

"But she's _my_ kid. Not Chandler's."

"She might as well be mine," Chandler added into the discussion. "In the past six months, I've spent more time with her than you have in the past four years. You've never even met her, Joey."

"Well, I, um… I _want_ to."

"Why the sudden change of heart, Joe? What made you want this now? You stepped aside. You told me that I deserved it more than you. What happened to all that stuff?"

"I was wrong, okay? I've been wrong plenty of times before."

"You've got that right," Chandler sighed.

"She's my daughter, Monica," Joey continued, ignoring Chandler's comment.

"I know that. Believe me, I know that," Monica sighed. "I just... I don't understand. Why now? What if you change your mind again? Joey, she's barely four years old. She doesn't need someone walking in and out of her life whenever he feels like it. She deserves some kind of stability, and I don't want her to be hurt if you decide you don't want to be there for her. She gets attached to people really easily, and I'm not sure that this would be a good idea - for Emily's sake. I mean, can you honestly say that you're willing to be there for her anytime she needs you? A child is a huge responsibility, Joey. Trust me, I've learned that and a whole lot more in the last four years."

"I just want to be in her life. I'm not asking to move in here or take her away from you. I don't see what the problem is. I'm her father."

"She doesn't know you, Joey," Chandler said quietly. "It's not that easy."

  
"Well, it was easy for _you_. Why wouldn't it be easy for me?"

"It's different."

"Yeah, it's different. I'm her _father_."

"Yeah, I got that," Chandler sighed.

"I'll let you meet her," Monica said quietly, looking up at Joey. Upon hearing her statement, Chandler looked up at her, surprised. "But I don't want you to let her know that you're her father. You can meet her, and we'll go from there."

Joey smiled. "Thank you... When?"

"Um... Tomorrow would be okay, I guess." She turned to look at Chandler. "Do you want to be here? Emily was expecting you to be here tomorrow night."

"Yeah. Yeah, I want to be here," he answered, then glanced over at Joey.

"Okay," Monica sighed. "Tomorrow at five."

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Monica helped her daughter up the stairs to their apartment as she returned home from picking her up at preschool. When they reached the door, Chandler and Joey were standing outside, waiting for them.

"Hi," Monica smiled slightly. "Sorry we're late. Emily had been finger-painting, and we had to get her cleaned up," she laughed lightly.

"It's for you," Emily smiled brightly, holding up her finger-painting masterpiece for Chandler.

"Thank you," he said as he took the picture from her. "Well, someone's quite the artist," he grinned at Emily.

"This is Mommy," she began, pointing out the figures on the paper, "and this is me and this is you."

"That's beautiful," Chandler smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Em."

"Well, guys, let's go inside," Monica said, looking over at Joey. She led the group inside and helped Emily take off her jacket before they all went into the living room. "Emily, honey, this is Joey," Monica said, pointing over at Joey. "He's Chandler's friend."

"Hi, Emily. It's nice to meet you," Joey smiled nervously, reaching out his hand to her. Emily clung to her mother.

"It's okay, Em. Don't be shy," Monica urged, gently turning the little girl to face Joey.

"Hi," she said quietly, reluctantly reaching over to take his hand. She looked at Joey briefly, then turned to look at Chandler who was sitting beside Joey. She took her hand away from Joey and reached over for Chandler.

"Well, did you have fun today?" Chandler asked as the little girl made herself comfortable on his lap.

"Uh huh," she answered. "I made a new friend today."

"You did?" She nodded. "That's great," Chandler smiled. "What's your friend's name?"

"Megan. Her mommy _and_ daddy brought her. But I don't have a daddy."

"Emily, we've talked about this," Monica said, causing Emily to look at her. "All families are different, sweetie, and you have tons of people who love you."

"But I want a daddy, too," she said quietly, then looked at Chandler. "Chandler, can _you_ be my daddy?"


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N - Well, first of all, thanks for all of your reviews. I broke a hundred on this one, and that's kind of exciting... Anyway, I'm sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I was going to post it a few days ago, but I just couldn't do it. I'm still not sure about how it turned out, but I think I've waited long enough to post it. I don't think I'm going to be able to fix it anymore than I already have. So, I hope you like this one, and as far as the next chapter goes... Well, it might be awhile. Of course, I say that now, but since I said it, I'll probably finish it and be ready to post it within the hour... Okay, maybe not, but you know what I mean. Actually, you probably don't, because I'm making absolutely no sense and now I'm just rambling... Sorry. But I hope you like the chapter, and please let me know what you think...

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There You Are

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Chapter Thirteen

"Chandler, can _you_ be my daddy?" Emily asked innocently.

Chandler laughed nervously and looked to Monica for help.

"Emily, it doesn't work that easily," Monica answered for him.

"Why, Mommy?"  


"Because, honey, it's a very important job to be a daddy, and there are a lot of things that have to happen before somebody can be your daddy."

"Like what, Mommy?"

Monica sighed and smiled at her daughter. "Come here, sweetie," she said and watched as Emily crawled out of Chandler's lap and walked over to her. "You love Chandler, don't you?"

"Uh huh. He's my best friend, Mommy."

Monica smiled over at Chandler and glanced briefly at Joey then looked back at the little girl on her lap. "And you know that Chandler loves you, don't you?"

"Uh huh. He tells me all the time," she giggled.

"That's all that matters right now, Em. Maybe someday you'll have a daddy, but before that can happen, Mommy has some things that she has to do, okay?"

"Okay," she answered quietly. "Are you a daddy, Joey?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I, um... I don't, um..." Joey stopped, looking to Monica for an answer to Emily's question. She simply shrugged, allowing him to answer for himself but hoping he would stick to their agreement about not revealing that he was Emily's father. "I kind of am," he finally answered.

"Do you have a girl like me or a stinky boy?" she asked, wrinkling up her nose.

"I have a beautiful little girl," he smiled slightly, then glanced up at Monica. "But I don't see her very often. She lives with her mommy."

"Like me?"

"Yeah, like you."

"Why don't you go and see her?"

"Well, at first I was afraid to be somebody's dad, and by the time I realized what I was missing, she'd already found somebody to be a wonderful daddy for her… I still love her very much, but she's got someone else who should be her daddy. He loves her very much, too, and she loves him. And I think she'd be better off with him," he continued, looking up at Chandler.

  
"Are you sure about that?" Chandler asked, surprised by Joey's comments.

"I'm very sure," he smiled sadly. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Emily?" he asked, holding out his arms for the little girl.

She nodded and walked over to him. He picked her up and placed her on his lap. "Can I ask you something?"

"Okay, but I don't know much," she answered simply.

He laughed lightly. "Well, just do your best. You said that you want Chandler to be your daddy, right?"

"Uh huh."

"If he _was_ your daddy, do you think he'd be a good one?"

"Oh yes," she said enthusiastically. "He plays with me, and takes me places, and sometimes he tells me stories with funny voices."

"And you love him, right?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"I'm glad," he smiled. "Can I give you a kiss?" he asked.

She looked at Monica for reassurance. When her mother nodded, she did the same. Joey kissed her forehead, then handed her to Chandler. "I'm gonna head on home. Maybe I'll see you again sometime," he offered, smiling at Emily.

"Bye, Joey," she said, waving as he walked toward the door.

"Bye, Joey," Monica called after him and watched him walk out the door.

==========

"Hey," Chandler said when he entered his apartment later that night to find Joey making a sandwich in the kitchen.

"Hey," he replied. "Want a sandwich?"

"No, I'm good," Chandler answered. "Um, Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened at Monica's?" Chandler asked simply.

"I came to my senses," Joey smiled sadly. "Monica was right. I'm not her dad. You are."

"But Joey -"

"No, Chandler, you are. I guess I had to see it to believe it… I'll still be around. I just won't be her dad."

"What if you change your mind again?"

"I won't, I promise," he said quietly. "She wants you to be her dad, and kids know what they want. The only thing that matters is that she's loved and taken care of, and I know that with you around, she will be. And someday, when she's old enough to understand, I can tell her that I'm her father."

"Joey, I have to tell you that this sounds a little too good to be true – for me, at least."

"Yeah, I know. After changing my mind the first time, I can understand why you'd think that. But it won't happen again."

"Joe, I think you should know that Monica and I are getting pretty serious. I want to marry her."

"Really?" Joey asked, shocked.

"Yeah, really. So I'm only going to be spending _more_ time with Monica and Emily. It might get a little weird."

"It'll be fine. Things will work out somehow… All I know is that when I saw you and Emily together, it looked right. You've loved her from the beginning. I didn't even _want_ her the first time I found out about her. I mean, don't get me wrong, Chandler. I love that little girl. She's my daughter, and I'll always love her. But I'm not going to mess up what you have with her."

Chandler sighed loudly before he spoke to Joey again. "All right, Joe. I want you to really think about this because, as far as I'm concerned, this is your last chance. You've put Monica through enough already with all this changing your mind business."

"I know that. But it's over. This is it. I'm stepping aside, okay?"

"I want to believe you, Joey. I really do."

"Well, believe it. Actually… I'm leaving for Los Angeles on Friday."

"Los Angeles? Why?"

"I got a part in a movie. It's a small part, but it's something."

"When did you find out about this?"

"This afternoon, when I came here from Monica's. I think somebody up there's trying to tell me to back off."

"Well, um… Congratulations, I think," Chandler said after a moment of contemplating the situation.

"Yeah, congratulations to you, too. You've just won yourself an instant family."

==========

"Mommy?" Emily yawned as Monica helped her into bed.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Why did Chandler's friend come here today?"

"Joey just wanted to meet you, honey."

"Why?"

Monica sighed quietly. "I guess he's heard so much about you from Chandler that he just had to see you."

"I love Chandler, Mommy," the little girl yawned, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around a doll that Chandler had given her.

"I love Chandler, too, Em," Monica said quietly.

"Mommy?"

"What, sweetie?"

"Will you please make Chandler my daddy?"

Monica smiled at her daughter's question and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "We'll see, baby. We'll see…"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A/N – Well, again, it's been awhile. I actually have had time to work on this all week, and I _have_ I worked on it. The problem is I've been working on the end of the story, not what I should be working on. And, I started a whole new one – like I don't have enough started already. I may be getting a little ahead of myself. But, anyway, here's chapter fourteen, which isn't very eventful. And I only have about half of the next chapter finished, so it'll probably be next weekend before I have it ready. Again, thank you for your reviews, and I hope that you enjoy this one. Please let me know what you think…

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****

There You Are

__

Chapter Fourteen

"Chandler!" Emily exclaimed when he entered their apartment the next evening.

"Hey, you," he smiled as he kneeled to take her into his arms. He looked up and noticed that Ross and Rachel were sitting in the living room with Monica. "Hi," he said as he carried Emily into the living room to join them. "Guess I should've knocked. I didn't know you guys were gonna be here."

"No, it's fine," Monica assured him. "They just came over to see Em."

"Uncle Ross brought me a dinosaur," Emily informed Chandler, holding the dinosaur model up for him to see.

"Yeah, that's neat," Chandler smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" Monica asked, causing Chandler to look up at her. They'd both been a little surprised by Joey's actions the previous night, and neither of them had really known what was going on. He was supposed to talk to Joey the night before, and she hadn't had a chance to find out what had been said yet.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm great," he smiled slightly. "We'll talk later," he added quietly.

"Okay," Monica smiled back at him, then turned back to her other guests. "So, you were just about to tell me something. What's up?"

"Well," Ross began. "Rachel and I -"

"We're engaged!" Rachel exclaimed, holding up her left hand so Monica could see the engagement ring.

"Congratulations," Monica said sincerely before taking Rachel's hand to look at the ring. "Wow. Why didn't I see this earlier?" she laughed.

"Congratulations," Chandler smiled at the happy couple.

"Thanks," Ross replied.

"You see what happened here, Mon?" Rachel said, ignoring the others in the room. "I thought _Chandler_ was going to propose to _you_, but _Ross_ proposed to _me_. Funny, huh?"

"Mommy, what does propose mean?" Emily asked curiously.

Monica laughed nervously. "Well, it means different things, but when Uncle Ross proposed to Rachel, it means that he asked her to marry him."

"You're gonna marry Uncle Ross?" she asked, looking at Rachel. Rachel nodded. "Can I be the flower girl?"

"Well, of course," Rachel assured her.

"Chandler, you and Mommy can get married," Emily suggested. "I can be a flower girl two times!" she exclaimed.

"Emily," Monica scolded, embarrassed by her daughter's comment.

"Hey, let me tell you something," Chandler said, taking Emily onto his lap. "I love your mommy very much, and I love you very much." He leaned in as he if were whispering to her before continuing. "But I haven't asked her to marry me - yet," he said, then looked up to wink at Monica.

"Then ask her!" Emily exclaimed.

"Honey, you have to be patient," Monica tried to explain. "If Chandler and I decide to get married, we will. But you're going to have to wait until then."

"Okay… But you better hurry up," she said stubbornly.

==========

"Bye, guys. Congratulations," Monica called, closing the door behind Ross and Rachel as they exited her apartment a little later that evening. She walked back over to the couch where Chandler was sitting, with Emily's head resting on his lap while she slept peacefully. "Want me to move her?" Monica asked.

"No, she's fine," Chandler smiled up at her, then watched her sit in the armchair. "So, um... Rachel thought I was gonna propose the other night?"

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, she did."

"Are you disappointed that I didn't?" he asked curiously.

"What? No," she answered immediately, then quickly continued. "I mean, I want to marry you, but I wasn't expecting it the other night. I wasn't expecting a lot of things the other night," she smiled slightly.

"Joey?" he questioned. She nodded. "Yeah, neither was I."

"So, did you talk to him?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did. He swears this is it, Mon," he answered, looking down at the little girl in his lap and brushing her hair with his fingers.

"Did he mean it? Did it sound like he was serious?"

"Yeah. It did, actually. He's, um... He's going to L.A. on Friday," he informed her.

"Really?" He nodded. "Why?"

"He got a part in some movie. And he basically said that it was perfect timing for him to get away from here for awhile. He still wants to be around for Emily, though - as Uncle Joey - and he said that when she's older he wants to tell her that he's her father."

"Yeah. Of course," Monica said quietly. "So you really think that he's not going to change his mind again?"

"Yeah, I really do. He might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I think he finally realized what's best for Emily."

"I'm glad," Monica smiled at him.

"Me too," he smiled back at her.

"So, um… You want me to take her to bed?"

"I'll take her," Chandler answered and carefully moved the little girl so he could pick her up. He carried her into her bedroom, while Monica followed, then tucked her into bed. "Been a long day, huh, Em?" he whispered before kissing her forehead and allowing Monica to step over so she could kiss her daughter good night.

"Night, Em," Monica whispered. "Mommy loves you, sweetie," she continued as she brushed the little girl's hair away from her face. She turned back to Chandler and smiled at him, took his hand, and let him lead her back into the living room.

"Let's dance," he suggested once Emily's bedroom door was shut.

"Dance?"

"Yeah, dance. I just realized, we've been dating for months now, and we've never danced together."

"Maybe I don't dance," Monica teased.

"Maybe I don't either, but I just really want to right now," he replied.

"Maybe I should put on some music," Monica grinned and stepped over to turn on the stereo. Soon there was soft music playing, and she stepped over to Chandler, who took her into his arms.

"I love you, Monica," he said quietly as they swayed back and forth to the music.

"I love you, too," she replied, looking up at him. "More than I ever thought I could."

He smiled at her, then leaned down to kiss her tenderly. "You're so beautiful," he said sincerely as he reached out to caress her cheek. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

"Chandler," Monica grinned. "You're making me blush."

"You're beautiful when you blush, too," he smiled at her.

"You're so full of it," Monica laughed.

"No, I mean it. You're gorgeous."

"Well, thank you," she smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Yeah, I know," he teased. She put her head on his shoulder as they continued to dance together.

"You know, I think the music stopped," Monica said quietly a few minutes later.

"Really? I didn't notice," Chandler replied.

"Yeah, it did... You wanna watch a movie or something?" Monica asked.

"Sure," he answered. Monica walked over to put in a video, and Chandler made himself comfortable on the couch. Soon, Monica joined him and cuddled up to him to rest her head on his chest. "What are we watching?" he asked.

"You know, I'm not sure. Rachel brought it over the over night, and I haven't had a chance to watch it - but she said it was good."

"Okay," he said and kissed the top of her head just as the opening credits began.

==========

"That was so good," Monica sniffed, reaching over to pick up the remote control to turn off the television. "Wasn't that so sweet?" she asked, turning to face Chandler. She smiled when she saw that he was sleeping peacefully. "Couldn't make it, huh?" she smiled to herself and kissed his forehead once she had gotten up from her spot on the couch. She carefully reached over and grabbed the blanket on the couch behind him and covered him with it. She couldn't wake him up; he just looked too peaceful. Just as she turned to go into Emily's room to check on her, Chandler called her name.

"Monica?" he said sleepily.

"I'm right here," she answered, turning back to him. "You fell asleep."

"I guess I should go home," he yawned.

"You can stay here, if you want. The couch isn't that bad."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You're too tired to go home, and it's kind of late. Get some sleep."

"Come here," he said as he made himself comfortable on the couch, lying down and pulling the blanket back, leaving a spot for her beside him.

She smiled and walked over to the couch and made herself comfortable beside him, with her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck. "I'll stay for a little while," she said as he covered her with the blanket.

"Okay. Just a little while - for now," he yawned. "But someday... Forever."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

A/N - It's been a long, long time for this. A month, actually. I finally decided to just do it. I was thinking about dragging this out a little longer, but I think I've changed my mind, so this is probably going to be the last chapter before the epilogue. And the epilogue will probably be long if I keep all the stuff I've written already. I'll try not to make it another month before I get that one up. Please let me know what you think - oh, and thank you for your reviews so far. Also, thanks for the reviews on the new one I put up a little while ago - "I Miss My Friend." I'm still trying to decide whether I should continue that one or not because if I put up the stuff that I already have done and leave it at that, you'll all hate me. lol We'll see... But, for now, I hope you like this one...

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****

There You Are

__

Chapter Fifteen

Monica groaned as her eyes slowly opened early the next morning. At first, she wasn't quite sure where she was, but she knew that she wasn't in her bed. She shifted and smiled slightly when she saw that she was lying next to Chandler.

"Hey… Wake up, sleepyhead," Monica said quietly, gently running her finger along his cheek.

He moaned and moved slightly. "Hey," he yawned. "What time is it?"

"Um… About six thirty," she answered, glancing over at the clock in the kitchen.

"I stayed here all night?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she replied. "How do you feel?"

"Well… Fine, I guess. Why?"

"I was just wondering… This couch isn't very comfortable, and adding me to the mix only made it worse, I'm sure."

"No, it made it a million times better," he smiled at her. "I like the idea of having you by my side when I wake up. It's really nice."

"It is, isn't it?" she smiled back at him.

"Yep… Do you have plans for the day?" he asked as he pulled her a little closer to him.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be at work at nine. You?"

"No, I'm off today. Do you need somebody to watch Emily?" he asked. "I can do it if you need me to."

"It's sweet of you to offer, but I was going to drop her off at preschool this morning. But do you want to come over tonight? I should be home by six."

"Yeah, absolutely. How about I make dinner for the two loves of my life?" he grinned.

"Oh, yeah," she scoffed. "You're gonna make dinner?"

"Hey, I can cook," he replied, pretending to be hurt. "I had to survive before I had _you_ around."

"Okay… This I've gotta see," she laughed.

"Do you want me to pick up Emily from preschool on my way over here?"

"If you want… She'd love that," Monica answered.

"I'd love that, too," he assured her.

"Well, I'll let her teacher know that you'll pick her up today."

"Great… I'll be there," he promised. "Do you think I should leave before she wakes up?"

"Oh, she won't be up for another hour… How about some breakfast?" she suggested.

"Yeah, breakfast sounds good," he replied. "Can I help?" he offered.

"No, I'll get it," she said as she reluctantly got up from the couch. 

Chandler yawned and got up to follow her into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table while Monica opened the refrigerator to gather the ingredients for breakfast.

"Mommy?" a little voice called from across the room. Both Chandler and Monica turned to see Emily standing by her door, clutching the doll she had gotten from Chandler.

"Sweetie, what are you doing out of bed?" Monica asked as she walked back to the living room, then picked up her daughter.

"I had a bad dream, Mommy. There was a monster under my bed, and it came out and scared me."

"Honey, there's nothing under your bed, I promise. Now, do you think you can go back to sleep, sweetie?"

"I don't want to, Mommy," the little girl yawned. She immediately brightened up when she saw Chandler, who had walked into the living room. "Chandler!" she smiled brightly.

"Hey, you," Chandler smiled back at her. "Let me tuck you back in so you can get some more sleep, okay?"

"But I don't want to," she yawned. "I'm not sleepy."

"How 'bout you just try? For your mommy and me?"

"Okay," she yawned again and reached out for Chandler who carried her into the bedroom to tuck her back into bed.

Minutes later, he walked out of her room and over to Monica who was already working on breakfast. "She's asleep already," he smiled at her.

"Yeah, she does that a lot. I usually turn on the TV for her, and she's asleep on the couch within minutes," she laughed.

"She's a pretty good kid," Chandler smiled at her.

"Yeah, she really is," Monica agreed. "I'm lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," Chandler said quietly. "I mean, I really can't believe that I'm here with you right now, completely in love with the most incredible woman in the world who just happens to love me, too. Well, I _hope_ she does," he teased.

"Oh, she does," Monica assured him and leaned in to kiss him. "Very, very much."

==========

"Why do I have to go with Uncle Ross?" Emily asked Chandler later that evening as he helped her get ready to go across the street.

"Can you keep a secret?" Chandler asked, knowing that even if she couldn't, she wouldn't be around to talk to her mother before Chandler got a chance to carry out his plan.

"Oh, yes," she said excitedly. "Tell me, Chandler!"

"Well, you can't tell anybody, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"Well… I'm gonna ask your mommy to marry me," he whispered.

"Really?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, really," Chandler laughed. "Is that okay with you?"

"Uh huh. I love you, Chandler," she said as she jumped off her bed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Chandler smiled as he hugged her. "Now, let's get you over to Uncle Ross' so I can get ready for your mom, okay?"

"Okay," she replied. "I'm so happy!"

==========

"Emily, Mommy's –" Monica stopped when she opened the door to her apartment and was greeted by what must have been hundreds of candles and several dozen flowers. As she looked over the room, her eyes finally met Chandler's when she saw him standing in the middle of the living room. "Chandler," she whispered. "What's going on?"

"Come on. Sit down," Chandler said as he walked over to meet her. He took her hand and led her into the living where he helped her sit down on the couch. Chandler took a seat on the coffee table in front of her and held her hands in his.

"Where's Emily?" Monica asked.

"She's with Ross. I thought we should be alone for this," he grinned.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see," Chandler smiled at her. He sighed loudly before he began. "Monica, I love you. I never thought I could love anyone the way I love you, but the moment I met you, I knew that you were different. And you are. Wonderful different," he smiled. "There's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, Monica. I want to go to sleep with you in my arms every night and wake up with you right beside me every morning. I want to have the silly little arguments with you that all married couples have. I want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated, Mon. I want us to have babies together. I want us to spend our lives together. And I hope you feel the same way, because I don't know what I'd do without you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, then lowered himself to one knee. He smiled at her and opened the box to reveal the diamond engagement ring. "Monica Geller, will you marry me?"

Monica wiped away a few of the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Chandler."

"Really?" Chandler teased.

"Yes, really," Monica laughed as she watched him place the ring on her finger. "I never knew I could be this happy," she said quietly before she placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him to her for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he smiled before kissing her again. "You know, Emily's gonna be pretty excited."

"You think?" she laughed.

"Well, she was when I told her that I was going to ask you tonight."

"You told her? How did I not find out about this? She's four years old. She can't keep a secret for longer than two minutes."

"Yeah, I know," Chandler smiled. "That's why I didn't tell her until about an hour ago, right before I dropped her off at Ross' where she proceeded to spill the beans to Ross and Rachel. Now, I know I haven't known Rachel for nearly as long as you have, but I'm pretty sure that the whole town knows by now that Chandler Bing and Monica Geller are getting married."

"Yeah, you're right," Monica laughed. "But that's okay. I want the whole world to know," she grinned.

"Me too," he smiled back at her. "It's you and only you, Mon. For the rest of our lives…"


	16. Chapter Sixteen Epilogue

A/N - Okay, if you vaguely remember this from millions of years ago - yeah, exaggerating, but you know…  Anyway, here's the epilogue.  It's been written for ages - exaggerating again - but I never got around to putting it up.  It's been hectic - the good kind of hectic, but still hectic.  Nice to know I'm still making no sense and rambling like crazy in these things.  This is definitely not the greatest thing I've ever written, but I think it's time to wrap this up.  I'm thinking I may put up a second chapter to "I Miss My Friend," if any of you read the first chapter and might like to peek at the second one.  For now, though, I hope you enjoy this one and please let me know what you think.

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**There You Are**

**_Epilogue_**

 "Chandler's my daddy now, right, Mommy?" Emily smiled happily.

"Yeah, Chandler's your daddy now," Monica smiled, looking over at her husband.

"So I can call him daddy, just like the other kids call their daddies?"

"I'd love it if you would," Chandler smiled at her and kissed the little girl's forehead.

"Okay, Daddy," Emily exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

"Well, it's official," Monica grinned, looking at her new husband and her little girl - _their_ little girl, now that Chandler had officially adopted her.  "She's yours and you're mine…"

==========

"Mom, I have wonderful news," Emily grinned when she entered her parents' house and found her mother sitting in the living room.

"Oh, really?" Monica smiled.  "What's the wonderful news?"

  
"Brian asked me to marry him," she answered, holding up her left hand so her mother could see her engagement ring.

"Congratulations!" Monica exclaimed, pulling her daughter into a hug.  "I'm so happy for you, honey."

"Thank you," Emily grinned.  "Where's Dad?"

"In the den.  Come on.  I wanna see his face when he finds out his little girl is getting married," Monica laughed and took Emily's hand to lead her toward the den.

"Hey, you," Monica smiled at her husband.  "I brought a visitor."

Chandler looked up from his computer and smiled when he saw Monica and Emily enter the room.  "My two favorite girls," he grinned.

"Daddy, I have something to tell you," Emily began, taking the seat by Chandler's desk.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing this is good news."

"Well, yeah...  Brian asked me to marry him."

"Really?" Chandler asked.  She nodded.  "But you said no, right?" he teased.  "You told him that you've been forbidden to ever grow up by your dad, right?"

"Oh, come on, Dad," Emily laughed.  "You're happy for me, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, sweetheart," he assured her as he pulled her into a hug, looking up at Monica who was smiling at the two of them.  "You realize we're losing our baby, don't you, Mon?" he smiled back at her.

"Yeah, I know," she said quietly.  "But look at it this way.  Once she's married, she can start having our grandchildren."

"Grandchildren?  I'm too young to have grandchildren," he replied as he and Emily pulled apart.  "You're not getting married _because_ you're having our grandchildren, are you?"

"Daddy!" Emily exclaimed.  "I'm not getting married because I'm pregnant."

"I know, I know," he smiled at her.  "Congratulations, Em."

==========

"Okay.  Lauren's my maid of honor," Emily began, trying to go over the details of her wedding with her parents a few months later.

"Oh, that's so great," Monica smiled.  "Rachel was my maid of honor, and now _Rachel's_ daughter - and Ross' - gets to be _my_ daughter's maid of honor."

"Yeah...  Julia and Becky are my bridesmaids," she continued.  "Brian's brother is his best man, and he asked Jake and Danny to be his groomsmen."

"He asked your brothers?  Oh, that's so sweet," Monica said, looking over at Chandler.  He looked a little distant.

"It is, isn't it?" Emily smiled at her mother.

"I'll be right back," Chandler said before standing and walking toward the kitchen.

"Is he okay?" Emily asked worriedly.  "He seems out of it today."

"Oh, he's fine," Monica assured her.  "He just...  He was wondering...  Oh, I shouldn't tell you."

"Mom, you can't start to tell me something and then not tell me."

"Yes I can.  I just did."

"Mom, please.  I'm worried about him."

Monica sighed.  "Honey, he just wants to know if you're going to ask Joey to give you away."

"Joey?  No, I'm not asking Joey."  Emily's parents had told her about her biological father years ago.  But, even though she knew that Joey was her father, it was Chandler that she called Dad.  Joey was just...  Well, Uncle Joey.  "I want my _dad_ to give me away.  He doesn't know that?"

"He was hoping that you _wanted_ him to do it, but he didn't want you to feel like you _had_ to let him do it."

"Of course I want him to do it.  I can't believe he didn't know that."

"Well, sweetie, you'd better tell him.  He'll feel a lot better about it if you just talk to him."

"I will," she said, just as Chandler reentered the room.  "Hey, Dad.  You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he smiled at her.  "Just needed some water."

  
"Okay...  Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Absolutely, Em," he answered.

"I'll be back in a minute," Monica said before standing to leave.  "You kids behave," she called behind her as she left the room.

"What is it, honey?" Chandler asked curiously.

"When Brian and I get married...  You'll give me away, won't you?"

"I, um...  I thought you might want Joey to do that," he answered, looking down at his hands.

"Why would I want Joey to do it?"

"Well, he's your father, Em.  I just thought you'd ask him."

"Well, I'm asking _you_, Dad.  _You're_ the one who tucked me in every night.  _You're_ the one who took me to the father-daughter dances in elementary school.  _You're_ the one who taught me how to drive.  _You're_ my dad.  And _you're_ the one that I want to give me away on my wedding day."

"Really?" he asked.  She nodded.  "And you're not just asking because your mother told you about this?"

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, pretending that her mother hadn't just told her everything.

"Em, I know your mom better than anyone, and I know that she can't keep stuff like that to herself for long."

"Hey!  I heard that!" Monica yelled, revealing her location on the other side of the kitchen door to the others.

"You can come in here now," Chandler laughed.

Monica slowly walked back into the living room and joined Chandler on the couch.  "Sorry," she said quietly.  "But you were so upset about it; I had to talk to Emily."

"I can't believe that you thought I'd ask Joey over you.  I love Joey and everything, but he's not my daddy."

Chandler smiled and leaned over to hug his daughter.  "You're 25 now, and I still love to hear you call me daddy," he said quietly.

"You'll always be my daddy," Emily assured him and kissed his cheek gently.  "I've got to meet Brian for dinner with his parents...  I love you two."

"We love you, too," Monica smiled when Emily leaned over to hug her.  "Tell Brian we said hi."

"I will.  Bye," she said before heading out the front door.

"I can't believe you told her," Chandler said, looking over at his wife.  "Well, I _believe_ you told her, I just can't _believe_ you told her."

"Yeah, you're making no sense," Monica grinned.  "Honey, she loves you.  You know that.  What _I_ can't believe is that you thought she wouldn't want you to walk her down the aisle."

"But it's been so complicated, Mon.  With Joey always around...  I just...  I don't know."

"Chandler, it's been the easiest thing in the world.  It hasn't been complicated at all.  She's always loved you as if you had always been her dad.  And I couldn't imagine things any other way."

"Yeah, but all these years with her real dad around haven't been easy.  I can tell that Joey regrets giving her up.  And, honestly, I don't blame him."

"Honey, it was something that happened a long, long time ago, and everything's worked out exactly the way it was supposed to.  Joey gave her up.  Emily's yours in every way that matters.  And I can't understand why you still feel this way after twenty years."

"I know.  It's stupid.  Guess I should just be happy, huh?" he smiled slightly.

"Of course you should.  You're with me, aren't you?" Monica grinned.

"Yeah…  For now.  I'm gonna have to come up with someone for my next twenty years pretty soon," he teased.

"Trying to trade me in for a younger model, Bing?"

"Oh, probably not.  It's too much trouble.  Besides, why should I mess with such a good thing?" he smiled before placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

===========

"I can't believe my baby's getting married," Monica cried as she gazed at her daughter in her wedding gown.

"I know!" Emily exclaimed through tears, sounding remarkably like her mother.  "I'm so happy!"

"I'm happy for you, sweetie," Monica smiled.  "Here.  Let me fix your veil," she offered, reaching over to adjust her daughter's hair, then her veil.

_Knock!  Knock!_

"It's Dad.  Can I come in?" Chandler called through the door.

"Yeah, come in," Emily called.

Chandler slowly pushed the door opened and smiled brightly when he saw her standing there in her wedding gown.  "Now it's official.  Our baby's grown up," he smiled as he walked over to his wife and daughter.  He leaned over and kissed Monica, then Emily's cheek.  "You look almost as beautiful as your mom looked on _our_ wedding day," he grinned at her, then at Monica.  "Are you ready?" he asked.

"I think so," Emily said quietly.

"I'm gonna step out and make sure everything's ready, sweetie," Monica said before kissing her daughter's cheek.  "I'll be back soon," she continued before leaving the room.  She knew that Emily and Chandler needed to have a few minutes alone before the ceremony.

"Daddy, I'm so nervous," Emily admitted.

"That's normal, Em.  You love him, right?"

"Yeah.  I really do," she smiled.

"Then you'll be fine.  You know how much I love your mom, but I was scared to death on our wedding day.  And, even though she'd never admit it, so was your mom."

"Really?"

"Absolutely.  It's a big day.  Everybody gets a little nervous.  You'll be fine, sweetheart.  And I'll be right there with you - until I have to hand you over to another man," he teased.

"I love you, Daddy," Emily said sincerely as she pulled him into a hug.

"I love you, too, Em…  And make sure that you remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you.  Anything you need, you can come to me, okay?"

"I know," she said quietly.  "That's one of the reasons I love you so much."

Chandler just smiled at her and kissed her cheek one more time.  "I should let you finish getting ready.  I'll be waiting for you, okay?"

"Okay," she answered.

Chandler stepped out of Emily's dressing room and walked down the hall to find Monica.  He spotted her talking with the bridal party and pulled her away from the group.

"What are you doing?  I'm trying to make sure everything's ready."

"Everything's ready, I'm sure.  With you and Emily planning this thing, if anything went wrong I'd eat my hat."

"You don't have a hat," Monica teased.

"Oh, come on.  It's an expression.  Gimme a break."

"Okay," she laughed.  "I'll give you a break, but only because we're losing our little girl today."

"Can you believe that we were doing this twenty years ago?"

"I can't believe it's been that long," Monica sighed.  "But time does fly when you're having fun," she grinned.

"Okay, so now _you're_ using the lame expressions."

"Hey, if you get one, so do I," Monica smiled.

"You know what?  As much as I hate to admit it, I think it's time to get started."

"Yeah, you're right.  You should go to Emily...  I love you."

"I love you, too," Chandler smiled and kissed her tenderly.  "I'll see you soon, honey."

==========

"I'm kind of afraid to go in there," Monica said nervously while she and Chandler stood outside the door of Emily's hospital room.

"It'll be fine, honey," Chandler tried to assure her.  "She's strong, just like you.  She's gonna do great."

"I hope so," she said before reaching out to open the door.  "Em?" she called, poking her head in the room.

"Come on in," Emily replied weakly.  "Hey," she said quietly, smiling at her parents as they neared her bed.

Monica took the chair by the bed and reached over to take her daughter's hand.  "Where's Brian?"

"He's calling his parents again.  They're supposed to be on the way here."

Chandler walked to the other side of the bed and took his daughter's other hand.  "How do you feel?" he asked.

"I've been better," she admitted.  "But the doctor says it's almost time…  I don't know how you did this three times, Mom."

"It's completely worth it, I promise," Monica smiled at her.  "You're doing great, honey.  That baby's gonna be here soon and you're gonna be happier than you ever thought you could be, regardless of how painful it is.  Trust me."

"You know, if you think _you've_ got it tough, just think about poor Brian," Chandler teased.  "When your Mom had the boys, I thought she was gonna kill me before I got a chance to see them."

"Dad," Emily whined.  "I'm not _that_ bad…  Oh no.  Contraction," she panted.  "This hurts."

"I know, sweetie," Monica soothed, brushing Emily's hair away from her face.  "Just breathe through it, Em.  You'll be fine."

Just as the contraction ended, Brian entered the room.  "Hi," he smiled at his in-laws.  Chandler moved over to allow Brian to stand by Emily.  "You okay, Em?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied.  "Dad was just telling me how tough this is for you," she grinned over at Chandler.  "Am I really _that_ bad?"

"Tell her no, Brian.  Otherwise you'll never hear the end of it," Chandler advised.

"No, you're not bad at all.  You can yell at me and complain as much as you want.  You're having our baby."

"He's a good catch," Monica smiled at her daughter.  "That sounds exactly like what your dad told me when I was in labor."

"Yeah, he's a good one," Emily agreed.  She gasped suddenly and grabbed Brian's hand.  "Here we go again," she panted.

"We're gonna go, sweetheart," Monica said before she kissed Emily's forehead.  "Good luck, Em."

"Good luck, honey," Chandler said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.  "We love you."

Monica and Chandler walked down the hallway and into the waiting room where Monica collapsed into the nearest chair.  "That is so hard," she sighed.  "I know exactly what she's feeling right now, and I hate to know that she's in so much pain."

"I know, Mon," Chandler said as he took the chair next to her.  "She's our baby.  Neither of us wants her to be in pain right now.  But you said it yourself, honey.  It'll be worth it."

"Yeah…  You're right," she smiled slightly.  "I can't believe that she's having our first grandchild."

"I know.  We're not old enough to have grandkids," he laughed lightly.

"Is it here yet?!  Is the baby here?!" Joey asked excitedly as he rushed into the waiting room.

"Not yet," Chandler answered.  "But it could be any time now."

"How's she doing?" Joey asked, looking at Monica.

"She's hangin' in there," Monica smiled slightly.  "She's gonna be fine, but I'm starting to think that I might not make it.  This is nerve-wracking."

"Tell me about it…  Do you realize that we're gonna be grandparents any time now?"

"Yeah…  Any time now…"

==========

"He's perfect," Monica said in awe as she cradled her grandson in her arms several hours later.  "He looks just like you when you were born," she cried, looking over at her daughter.

"He's a beautiful baby," Chandler said as he gazed at the baby in his wife's arms.  "Does he have a name yet?" he asked curiously, not looking up from his grandson.

"Well, yeah, actually," Emily answered, looking up at her husband.  "Can I tell them?"

"Yeah, I think they should know first," he smiled and leaned over to kiss her tenderly.

"Well, what is it?" Monica asked anxiously.

"Mom, Dad, say hello to Christopher Chandler Jenkins," she smiled.

Chandler looked up from the baby to his daughter.  "Christopher Chandler Jenkins?" he questioned.

"Uh huh," Emily assured him.  "I wanted him to have a name that means something.  And you're one of the most important people in my life, Dad.  I can't think of anyone I'd rather name my baby after."

"I…  I don't even know what to say," Chandler said quietly.  "I mean...  Wow."

==========

"There you are," Monica said a little later when she caught up with Chandler.  She found him standing outside the nursery window, looking at their grandson.

"Hey," he smiled at her, then turned back to look at the baby.  "He's a cute baby, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I think so.  He came from _our_ cute baby, didn't he?"

"Yeah, you're right," Chandler laughed.  He turned to face her and kissed her tenderly.  "I love you."

"I love you, too," Monica whispered as she hugged him tightly.  "Has it been fun?" she asked.

"Has what been fun?" he asked curiously.

"You and me.  And Emily.  And the boys."

"Yeah, it has," he assured her.  "Better than I could have imagined."

"And it was worth it?"

"Yeah, it was worth it," he smiled.  "I can't think of anything I would have rather done for the last twenty years."

"Me neither…  And to think, it all started in that little coffeehouse years and years ago.  I look up, and there you are."

"Yeah…  And you didn't want anything to do with me at first - trying to run me off.  Hard to believe you didn't want this, huh?" he teased, holding out his arms to her.

She walked into his open arms and hugged him tightly.  "Thank goodness you changed my mind," she said quietly.

"Which is very hard to do," Chandler replied before kissing her tenderly.  They both turned to look back through the nursery window.  "Christopher Chandler.  You know, it feels pretty good to have someone named after me."

"I'd say so," Monica smiled.  "You should be honored."

"Oh, I am."

"Guess you know now how much she loves you, huh?"

"Oh, I always knew.  I guess I just needed reassurance."

"Well, I think you've got that," Monica smiled up at him.

"That and so much more," Chandler smiled before kissing his wife again.  "Come on.  Let's go and check on our little girl." 

==========

A/N - Weak, I know, but it's the best I could come up with.  I planned on changing it, but it just never happened.  Anyway, please let me know what you thought.


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